Alive: Book 1
by Hidding-In-Shadows-2
Summary: Willowkit and her sister Frostkit are born in calming times to one of the three Clan, LightningClan. But Willowkit doesn't feel all at home with her family, her parents seeming to shun her for her lack of skill. Yet, a prophecy is born to the medicine cat of the clan, and he cant but help to see that it has to do with the family. Will the clan be saved in time, or will their own fo
1. Chapter 1

**Summary:** Willowkit and her sister Frostkit are born in calming times to one of the three Clan, LightningClan. But Willowkit doesn't feel all at home with her family, her parents seeming to sun her for her lack of skill. Yet, a prophecy is born to the medicine cat of the clan, and he cant but help to see that it has to do with the family. Will the clan be saved in time, or will their own foolish mistakes make the three clan become just two?

* * *

**Alive: Book 1**

_**By.** Hidding-In-Shadows_

Chapter 1

* * *

_**RunningClan**_

**Leader:** Runstar- slim light brown tabby tom with amber eyes (Mate: Sandleg) (Kits: Windpaw and Spiderpaw)

**Deputy:** Longwind- sleek white-and-gray tom with blue eyes

**Medicine Cat:** Healheart- slim cream-and-brown tom with amber eyes (Apprentice: Lightpaw)

**Warriors:**

Forestfoot- slim white tom with large brown paws and green eyes (Mate: Softpelt) (Kits: Lightpaw and Heartpaw)

Sandleg- small pale ginger she-cat with dark ginger legs and blue eyes (Mate: Runstar) (kits: Windpaw and Spiderpaw)

Runningcloud- soft pelted small gray-and-white she-cat with light blue eyes (Apprentice: Heartpaw)

Softpelt- soft light brown she-cat with heather colored eyes (Apprenitce: Windpaw)

Rockfang- dark gray-and-black tom with icy blue eyes (Apprentice: Spiderpaw)

Braveclaw- black tom with white chest and amber eyes (Mate: Fernheart) (Kits: Grasskit and Mousekit)

**Apprentices:**

Lightpaw- tan tom with brown patches and blue eyes

Heartpaw- pretty slim light brown she-cat with a heart shaped patch on her chest and heather colored eyes

Windpaw- light gray-and-brown tabby she-cat with blue eyes

Spiderpaw- dark brown tom with black under belly and chest with amber eyes

**Queens:**

Fernheart- cream-and-gray she-cat with green eyes (Mate: Braveclaw) (Kits: Grasskit and Mousekit)

**Kits:**

Grasskit- black tom with white patches and green eyes

Mousekit- gray-and-white she-cat with amber eyes

**Elders:**

Deaf-ear- black-and-white tom with pale green eyes who went deaf (Old Mate: Kindears) (Kits: Braveclaw and Runstar)

Kindears- retired queen with brown pelt and amber eyes (Old Mate: Deaf-ear) (Kits: Braveclaw and Runstar)

_**CreekClan**_

**Leader:** Creekstar- silver tabby tom with blue eyes (Apprentice: Millowpaw)

**Deputy:** Fishfur- silver she-cat with amber eyes (Mate: Reedtail) (Kits: Millowpaw, Hollowpaw, and Dashpaw)

**Medicine Cat:** Leapfish- black tom with blue eyes (Apprentice: Hollowpaw)

**Warrior:**

Waterpelt- blue-gray tabby tom with light blue eyes (Apprentice: Dashpaw)

Reedtail- black tom with a gray-brown tail and green eyes (Mate: Fishfur) (Kits: Millowpaw, Hollowpaw, and Dashpaw)

Troutheart- light gray she-cat with white mark on chest with blue eyes (Mate: Runlake) (Kits: Weedpaw and Flowerpaw)

Runlake- dark brown tabby tom with orange eyes (Mate: Troutheart) (Kits: Weedpaw and Flowerpaw)

Lakeleg- silver she-cat with dark gray legs and blue eyes (Apprentice: Flowerpaw)

Shorefur- light, sandy colored she-cat with blue eyes (Apprentice: Weedpaw)

**Apprentice:**

Hollowpaw- black she-cat with blue eyes

Millowpaw- pretty silver tabby she-cat with amber eyes

Dashpaw- light brown mottled tom with blue eyes

Weedpaw- dark brown tom with orange eyes

Flowerpaw- light gray tabby she-cat with blue eyes

**Queens:**

Grasswhisker- light brown she-cat with green eyes (Old Mate: George) (Kits: Gingerkit and Mosskit)

**Kits:**

Gingerkit- light ginger tom with green eyes

Mosskit- light brown-white-and-light gray she-cat with blue eyes

**Elders:**

One-ear- dark brown tom with one ear and orange eyes (Old Mate: Tinyfish) (Kits: Reedtail and Shorefur)

Tinyfish- sandy light brown tabby she-cat with blue eyes (Old Mate: One-ear) (Kits: Reedtail and Shorefur)

Fluffypelt- light gray-and-black tom with green eyes (Kit: Fishfur)

_**LightningClan**_

**Leader:** Lightningstar- orange tabby tom with a pale ginger mark on his forehead with orange eyes (Mate: Darkflower) (Kits: Willowkit and Frostkit)

**Deputy:** Tigerlight- dark brown tabby tom with orange eyes

**Medicine Cats:** Wormfur- sandy colored tom with patches of fur and blue eyes

**Warriors:**

Ringtail- gray tom with tabby tail and green eyes (Mate: Grassshine) (Kits: Harepaw and Stripepaw)

Feverhead- brown tom with a going on fever and blue eyes (Mate: Beestripe) (Kits: Nightpaw and Petalpaw)

Grassshine- light brown she-cat with blue eyes (Mate: Ringtail) (Kits: Harepaw and Stripepaw)

Beestripe- pale gray she-cat with thick black stripe and orange eyes (Mate: Feverhead) (Kits: Nightpaw and Petalpaw)

Longfur- long-haired brown tabby tom with amber eyes

Brightface- orange-and-white she-cat with blue eyes

**Apprentices:**

Harepaw- light brown tom with green eyes

Stripepaw- gray tabby tom with blue eyes

Nightpaw- black tom with orange eyes

Petalpaw- brown she-cat with pale-gray patches and blue eyes

**Queens:**

Darkflower- gray-and-white she-cat with blue eyes (Mate: Lightningstar) (Kits: Frostkit and Willowkit)

**Kits:**

Frostkit- pretty white she-cat with blue eyes

Willowkit- dark gray tabby she-cat with orange eyes

**Elders:**

Badfang- black tom with green eyes and long teeth

Losteye- white she-cat with green eyes and blind in one

* * *

As night crept over LightningClan, a yowl pierced through the air. From the warriors den, two sets of eyes opened and peered out to the den across from it, the nursery. Another yowl came from the nursery, causing the leader to walked out of his own den from across the camp, his orange eyes hard. He looked around, trying to find the source of the noise. It was only about four moons ago that the Clan had finally settled in with it's neighbor Clan, CreekClan and RunningClan. And now, an unknown cat was yowling for help.

Lightningstar's eyes widened as he found the source and he leaped off of the stone ledge that sat on the lip of his den and ran to the mush den next to his. He looked about before spotting the scraggy looking medicine cat.

"Wormfur, Wormfur, walk up. It's Darkflower, the kits are coming."

The fur-less creature in the back of the den stirred before sitting up, emotionless blue eyes contacting with worrisome orange one. The tom rose silently and grabbed a few herbs from the line of plants on the floor of his den, and shoved past the frantic leader. Another painful yowl came from the nursery. This time, a few of the apprentices even had their heads outside of their den, curious as to why the queen was causing such a ruckus.

Wormfur walked into the den where he say the gray-and-white she-cat laying in her nest, crying out in pain. No other queens laid in the empty nests, already moved out after their own kits had become apprentices. Wormfur dropped the herbs he brought with him next to Darkflower, telling her to eat them with his raspy voice. He then walked on the other side of her, placing a paw on her side. A rippled of pain shot through the she-cat and she cried out once more, making the medicine cat twitch with annoyance.

he always hated having to deal with births. A new member to the clan was always welcomed, but the ear-splitting scream were what made him frustrated. And having to calm the queen as she gave birth to her kits. Darkflower let out another claw-on-stone scream, making Wormfur cringe. He then applied a small amount of pressure to her side, the she-cat sliding her two kits out easily with the help to the expert medicine cat. He may hate having to go through the births of kits, but he knew just how to make it go quicker.

Wormfur leaned down and nipped at the sac of the first one before licking it's fur and placing it next to the mother's belly where it began to suckle. He then went to the second one, nipping it also.

As he grabbed the kit to place it next to her sister, his vision whited out for a moment before he was suddenly standing in a field of grass, blue skies surrounding him. He blinked and then groaned in frustration. Not now, not while there was a new born kit in his mouth. He heard a slight growl behind him and turned to see his mentor, a cat just a few moons older them himself.

"Sparrowtail, why did you call me here at such an important time? If you didn't see, I was helping Darkflower with her kits." the old tom meowed to his mentor angrily.

"I understand Wormfur." the graying brown tabby answered, his dark amber eyes narrowed. "But something important has come along. A prophecy has been given to me to share on to you."

Wormfur flinched back in surprise. A prophecy already? They hadn't even been in their camp for six moons and a prophecy was already being given to them. Wormfur cleared his throat, trying to hide his surprise-and slight fright- and nodded, telling the older tom to continue on with his message.

"As the time goes by, good will turn bad, and a terrible frost will kill the aging willow."

Wormfur growled in frustration. He knew that prophecy's were vague at some point, but this? This was darn near impossible for him to figure out. "What is this mouse dung you're telling me Sparrowtail? I don't understand what you're talking about?"

Sparrowtail chuckled, shaking his head. "You always were a hot headed one, weren't you Wormfur. All in good time my apprentice, all in good time."

Wormfur blinked his eyes once and was then sitting in the back of the nursery, two kits sucking milk from Darkflower as Lightningstar curled his way around his mate, purring in happiness. Wormfur's blue eyes travel to the kits, two she-cats. One had a brilliant white coat, the other a dark gray tabby. Wormfur noticed that the parents took deep interest in the white one, murmuring about her beautiful pelt and debating what to call her. Their names ranged from Rainkit for Snowkit to Featherkit. Finally, the decided on a name, Frostkit.

Wormfur felt his heart drop slightly as they looked onto the other kit with less interest, quickly naming her Willowkit after the large willow tree that sat in the middle of the camp. Her tabby pelt vaguely resembled that of the willows and Wormfur let out a displeased noise, startling the two lover. He pushed past them, growling to himself.

"Thanks StarClan."

**5 Moons Later**

Willowkit sat outside of the nursery, watching as her sister played with the apprentices. It was sun high at LightningClan's camp. The fresh kill pile was plentiful, the borders had all been checked and secured, and it was just the right temperature out to be relaxing. Willowkit looked over to the elder's den where her grandparent were laying on top of their rock den, purring and basking in the sunlight. She hear a small chuckled and turned her head in the other direction where her parents were laying under the ledge of her fathers den, enjoying the shade it provided. Wormfur, the medicine cat who was always sour and sarcastic was even enjoying the sun, laying out and scratching his claws along the dry ground.

"Willowkit!" a voice called. The gray tabby turned her head her orange eyes looking for the source of the holler. She spotted one of the apprentices, Nightpaw, a built black tom trotting over to her.

"Hi Nightpaw. Do you need something?" she asked, looking into the toms paler orange eyes.

"Do you wanna join us. Harepaw and I were just about to show Frostkit this fighting move we learned yesterday from Longfur." the tom purred. Willowkit looked over his shoulder to were her sister was sitting and talking to Harepaw. Frostkit looked over, her pretty, white face clean of dirt and her blue eyes bright and beautiful. She smiled to her sister warmly before being tackled by Petalpaw, Frostkit's best friend.

"I don't know, it seems like you all are having fun enough. I'm fine with staying over here." she said, looking back to the black tom.

"Oh come on, it'll be fun. For all you know, it'll help you out later in life." he gave her shoulder a friendly puch with his muzzle, making her chuckle and stand up, stretching.

"Alright, alright. I'll come play with you guys."

She trotted over with Nightpaw, the tom speaking energetically to his friends about the move, Harepaw cutting in every once and a while. Willowkit sat down next to her sister her pushed her, making the gray she-kit tumbled over. Frostkit snickered and then leaned down, helping her sister back up.

"Don't be so clumsy Willowkit. If you're going to be a warrior, you've got to stay strong on your paws." a voice from across the clearing called. Willowkit sighed, recognizing her fathers voice anywhere.

"Yes Lightningstar."

Nightpaw flicked his tail, getting everyone's attention. "Okay, now listen up. Harepaw and I are going to demonstrate the move. It's real simple actually, just a trip. But this is how you trip someone and flip them, when they're in the air."

Willowkit watched as Harepaw crouched down and ran to Nightpaw, jumping in the air to land on the toms back. Nightpaw smirked and dodge it easily, but instead of just doing a simple dodge, he turned around and jumped also, slapping Harepaw's back leg, making the tom flip in the air and land on his back on the ground, Nightpaw, landing over him, a paw on his throat.

"Wow Nightpaw, that was so cool!" Frostkit exclaimed, standing up and walking to the tom. Nightpaw smiled and thanked her before looking to Harepaw, thanking him for his assistance. He then turned to Willowkit, his eyes scanning her.

"What did you think Willowkit?" he asked.

"That was really good Nightpaw. You've got that move down." Willowkit purred, standing up. "Now all you need is a real enemy and you'll be set."

Nightpaw smiled. "Thanks Willowkit. I-"

"Hey Nightpaw, do you think you should show me around the apprentice's den? Flowerpaw forgot to show me yesterday, and since I'm joining soon, I wanted to knwo where to put my nest." Frostkit cut the tom off, purring happily and pushing into his fur. Nightpaw looekd down to her, thinking nothing of the kit's actions and shrugged.

"Sure, why not. Willowkit, you wanna come along? You'll be joining too." Nightpaw asked.

Willowkit opened her mouth to speak, but was cut off when Lightningstar called her over. She looked to her father who flicked his tail summoning her. "Some other time Nightpaw. Bye." she trotted over, felling the black toms eyes on her as she walked and then sighed as Frostkit giggled, the groups of cats walking to the apprentice's den. Willowkit sat in front of her parents.

"Yes sir?" she asked.

"Willowkit, sit up straight, you'll hurt your back it you slouch like that." Darkflower said first, giving the kit a hard look.

"Yes Darkflower." she kis sighed, sitting up a bit straighter.

"Willowkit. I was wondering if you would like to become a certain cats apprentice once you become six moons. Wormfur's for instants." the ginger tabby asked, looking to his daughter with questioning eyes.

Willowkit twtiched her ear, taken off guard. "W-Wormfur's apprentice?" she looked to the tom who was now standing and stretching, and then turned and walked back into the den, his skin pale beneath his thin patches of fur. Sure she would strike up a conversation with tom every once and a while, learn a few of the simple herbs here and there, but she never had a real interest in becoming a medicine cat. When she was young, she always would tell her mother of how hard she was going to work to become the best warrior of the clan. So why would her father even bother asking her such a question.

"I feel honored to be even thought of as the future medicine cat, but hat's not my path Lightningstar. I want to become a warrior for our clan." she said simply.

The tom narrowed his eyes and nodded. "I see. Alright then, carry on."

Willowkit nodded and then turned around, walking back to the nursery. She flinched as she heard Frostkit giggled from inside the apprentices den. Willowkit murmured to herself useless things before laying in her own personal nest, curling up and closing her eyes. Suddenly, she wasn't feel like laying out in the sun.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary:** Willowkit and her sister Frostkit are born in calming times to one of the three Clan, LightningClan. But Willowkit doesn't feel all at home with her family, her parents seeming to sun her for her lack of skill. Yet, a prophecy is born to the medicine cat of the clan, and he cant but help to see that it has to do with the family. Will the clan be saved in time, or will their own foolish mistakes make the three clan become just two?

* * *

**Alive: Book 1**

_**By.** Hidding-In-Shadows_

Chapter 2

* * *

A moon later, Willowkit sat outside of the nursery, cleaning her pelt. Inside, Darkflower and Frostkit were getting ready themselves. Willowkit dragged a paw over her ear, cleaning the spot behind it. She heard a chuckle of lauhter and looked up to see Nightpaw sitting there.

"Oh, hello." she said, dropping her paw, tucking them unto herself.

"Hi." he greeted and then purred with amusement. "You forgot a spot mouse brain." he leaned down and dragged his tongue over her head flattening a spot of fur that was sticking up. Willowkit felt her pelt heat up with embarrassment for a moment before thanking him. He told her it was no problem and then turned, walking off to the group of the other apprentices, whispering with excitement. Willowkit looked over her shoulder to see two pairs of blue eyes glaring her down. She swallowed hard and stood up, walking to the other cats who sat in front of the ledge at Lightninngstar's den. The tom walked out, calling for a clan meeting.

"We gather here today to appoint two new apprentices and two new warriors for LightningClan." he said, his voice booming over the clan. Willowkit smiled and stood as he called her and Frostkit up. As Willowkit when to drop up, Frostkit pushed past her, jumping up first. Willowkit frowned and followed her sister, sitting next to the white she-cat.

"Frostkit, you have reached the age of six moons, and it is time for you to be apprenticed. From this day on, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Frostpaw. Your mentor will be Tigerlight. I hope Tigerlight will pass down all he knows on to you."

Willowkit watched in awe as the deputy jumped up, muscles rippling under his dark pelt. He touched his nose to Frostpaw's, making their mentor and apprenticeship official. Willowkit looked to Lightningstar, excited to see who her own mentor would be.

"Willowkit, you too have reached the age of six moons and it is time for you to be apprenticed. From this day on, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known was Willowpaw. Your mentor will be Brightface. I hope Brightface will pass down all she know on to you."

Althought she she-cat was young, being the newest warrior at the moment, Willowpaw felt excitment grow in her belly. The ginger and white she-cat jumped up to Willowpaw, her first apprentice, and touched her nose to the tabby's. The clan below cheered their names. Willowpaw looked over the Clan and locked eyes with Nightpaw, the tom giving her an approving nod before she looked to Darkflower, the she-cat smiling brightly with proud to her older daughter. Willowpaw felt a stone now lay in her chest. Her mother had yet to look at Willowpaw.

The four of them jumped down and Willowpaw sat next to her mentor who was beaming brightly. Willowpaw watched as Harepaw and Stripepaw were called forward. The two jumped up and Willowpaw zoned out as they were given their warrior names, Harespring and Stripefur.

How could Darkflower not even acknowledge Willowpaw? She was her daughter too, was she not? And to not even help her with her pelt to get ready for the ceremony? Didn't all mother do that for their kits?

"Willowpaw? Willowpaw can you hear me?" Brightface's voice broke Willowpaw from her thoughts and the she-cat looked up to her mentor.

"Sorry. I was thinking. What was it you were saying?" Willowpaw looked up to her she-cat with nervous eyes.

"Oh, nothing really. I just wanted you to go make your nest in the apprentice's den, then clean out the queens. Then we'll see where it goes from there. Sound good?" Brightface looked down to the tabby who nodded and stood.

"I'll get right on it Brightface." Willowpaw noded and stood up, walking to the medicine cats den where Wormfur always kept extra moss. "Wormfur? Are you in?"

A head popped up from a den in the back and the tom looked over to her with his blue eyes. "Do you need something Willowkit?" he sighed.

"Just some moss if you can spare it." she said. Wormfur flicked his tail to the left and Willowpaw looked to see a large pile of moss. She purred in thanks and grabbed a mouthful, flicking her tail in a goodbye and trotted over to the apprentice's den. Harespring and Stripefur's nests were already taken out and Forstpaw's was in there too. Nightpaw laid in his nest, sleeping peacefully. She walked over to him, about to set her nest up when Frostpaw walked in.

"Willowpaw, that's my nest area." the she-cat whined, walking over and stepping in the nest that was made next to Nightpaw, curling in it. "There's a spot over there if you need it." Her long tail flicked over to the other side of the den where Petalpaw's nest was. Willowpaw nodded and dragged her nest over, placing it in the corner and spacing it out, making it comfortable. She then looked up to see Frostpaw resting her head on Nightpw's shoulder, drifting to sleep. Willowpaw walked out of the den and then looked up at the sky. The sun was still high, maybe Brightface would take her out and show her the territory.

She walked to the queens den, the scent of stale milk in the air. With outstretched claws, she raked the old moss nests, making a large ball of the soiled bedding. She pushed it with her nose, rolling it out of the den and into the camp. As she made her way to the dirt place to dispose of the moss, she heard someone call out her name. She looked up to see Harespring trotting over to her.

"Brightface wanted me to tell you that once your done you can grab something to eat. Then we're going out to explore the territory and check the borders." the tom said, his green eyes shinning in the sunlight.

"Okay. Thank you Harespring." Willowpaw purred and continued to roll the moss. Once she got into the dirt place, she pushed the moss to the side where the other balls of useless nest's sat. She smiled and then turned and walked out of the den, stretching her body. She blinked her eyes and watched as Petalpaw, Ringtail, and Longfur left camp on a patrol. Brightface and Stripefur were sitting outside of the warrior's den, talking among themselves about pray, territory, and the other Clans. Willowpaw walked to where the fresh-kill was and picked herself a mouse, pulling it out and laying down, licking her jaws.

She ate the mouse, her last meal being from yesterday morning. As she took her last bite, Brightface walked over with a purr. "Ready?" she asked.

Willowpaw nodded and stood up, shaking her pelt out and followed Brightface to the entrance of the camp. Harespring trotted over to them, smiling to the two she-cats. They walked out into the forest and Willowpaw looked up at the tree's with awe. Tree's towered over them, some taller then the willow in their camp. Their green leaves swayed in the wind, some falling off and dancing in the air. Bushes littered the ground, some holding berries while others were just avarage bushes. Patches of grass were scattered here and there, the rest occupied by soft dirt.

"We'll go to the CreekClan border first, then go to the RunningClan border and come back to camp for the night. Sound good?" Brightface asked, trotting off to the right.

"Sounds great." Willowpaw said, still in awe of the forest.

"If you want, Harespring, you can hunt a little." Brightface looked over her shoulder to the brown tom. He nodded and his whiskers twitched as he scented the air. Willowpaw sniffed also as they walked along, listening as Brightface talked bout CreekClan and how they live. The CreekClan's cats had a camp in the center of a river that ran through their territory, reeds surrounding it. They were the first to create camp when the Clans fist came here. The hunted mostly fish and river voles. The border that separated LightningClan and CreekClan was a small stream. Once they reached it, the cats took a drink and then headed down along the border, scenting it every once and a while.

They then reached an area that held all the scents of the cats, tree's and tall bushes blocking Willowpaw's view of the area. "That's were we hold our Meetings every half moon. One day you'll get to go Willowpaw, and met members from the other Clans. It fun really." Brightface purred.

Willowpaw and her mentor chatted about little things, hunting moves and when they'd start practicing battle moves. Brightface didn't think there would be any battles any time soon, but it was good to know how to fight. Harespring would run off every once and a while and return with prey dangling in his jaws. By the end of their patrol, the sun was starting to sink in the sky and Harespring had caught three mice. The three cats returned back to camp, Brightface letting Willowpaw go for the night, telling her she'd wake the tabby the next day for some training. Harespring wished Willowpaw a good night and the she-cat went to her den, laying in her nest. Nightpaw and Frostpaw were out, Petalpaw cleaning out her bedding.

"What did you do today Willowpaw?" Petalpaw asked, her long claws scraping the moss.

"Just a tour around the territory. I also cleaned the queens den out. Nothing too big." Willowpaw said, resting her head on her paws.

"On my first day, Ringtail took me out hunting. It was fun." Petalpaw said, pushing her old moss out of the den and leaving, going to get some new moss. Willowpaw nodded and closed her eyes, trying to fall asleep. She woke when she felt someone nudge her shoulder and opened her eyes to see Nightpaw standing there. Blue, gray, and white feathers were popping out of his mouth.

"Oh, hi. What's up Nightpaw?" she asked, sitting up.

"I was just eating a jay and had some feathers left over. I was wondering if you wanted to lay your nest with them." he said simply, the feathers falling out. Willowpaw laughed lightly and stood, walking off of her nest.

"Thanks. Aren't you going to take some?" she asked, grabbing a few feathers and sticking them into her nest.

"Frostpaw gave me some earlier from a sparrow she caught."

Willowpaw stopped for a moment before continuing with the nest. "So she went hunting?"

"Yeah, Tigerlight to us out, her, me, and Longfur." Nightpaw grabbed a few feathers himself, helping her with the nest. "She's pretty good at it, a natural. Must have gotten that from Lightningstar. He's one of the best hunter's I've seen."

Willowpaw nodded and smiled once she was finish with the feathers. "Thanks for the fathers, now I might be able to fall asleep."

"Haven't been sleeping easily lately?" he asked, concern in his eyes. Willowpaw shook her head.

"No, not really. But I did get a good nights rest last night."

"Wanna move next to me? Maybe it's because you're all alone over here." he flicked his tail to the surrounding area, Willowpaw's nest in it's own little corner, no where near Petalpaw's and all the way across the den from Nightpaw and Frostpaw's nests. Willowpaw's ear twitched and she shook her head.

"No, it's fine. Besides, Frostpaw and you take up most of the room over there, I'd just make it cramped." Willowpaw crawled into her nest, laying down with a sigh. "It's really comfortable now though. Thanks again Nightpaw."

"No problem. If you need anything, just tell me." he flicked her ear affectionately with the tip of his tail before turning and walking to his nest, crawling in also and laying down. Willowpaw closed her eyes and heard as someone else walked into the den, Petalpaw with her new moss, making a nest. Frostpaw followed after, her sweet scent filling the den. Willowpaw tucked away tighter as she heard the white she-cat giggle and flirt with Nightpaw. After a long moment of giggling, Willowpaw blocked out her sister, falling into a light sleep.

* * *

_**LightningClan**_

**Leader:** Lightningstar- orange tabby tom with a pale ginger mark on his forehead with orange eyes (Mate: Darkflower) (Kits: Willowkit and Frostkit)

**Deputy:** Tigerlight- dark brown tabby tom with orange eyes (Apprentice: Frostpaw)

**Medicine Cats:** Wormfur- sandy colored tom with patches of fur and blue eyes

**Warriors:**

Ringtail- gray tom with tabby tail and green eyes (Apprentice: Petalpaw) (Mate: Grassshine) (Kits: Harespring and Stripefur)

Feverhead- brown tom with a going on fever and blue eyes (Mate: Beestripe) (Kits: Nightpaw and Petalpaw)

Darkflower- gray-and-white she-cat with blue eyes (Mate: Lightningstar) (Kits: Frostpaw and Willowpaw)

Grassshine- light brown she-cat with blue eyes (Mate: Ringtail) (Kits: Harespring and Stripefur)

Beestripe- pale gray she-cat with thick black stripe and orange eyes (Mate: Feverhead) (Kits: Nightpaw and Petalpaw)

Longfur- long-haired brown tabby tom with amber eyes (Apprentice: Nightpaw)

Brightface- orange-and-white she-cat with blue eyes (Apprentice: Willowpaw)

Harespring- light brown tom with green eyes

Stripefur- gray tabby tom with blue eyes

**Apprentices:**

Nightpaw- black tom with orange eyes

Petalpaw- brown she-cat with pale-gray patches and blue eyes

Frostpaw- pretty white she-cat with blue eyes

Willowpaw- dark gray tabby she-cat with orange eyes

**Queens:**

None

**Kits:**

None

**Elders:**

Badfang- black tom with green eyes and long teeth

Losteye- white she-cat with green eyes and blind in one


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary:** Willowkit and her sister Frostkit are born in calming times to one of the three Clan, LightningClan. But Willowkit doesn't feel all at home with her family, her parents seeming to sun her for her lack of skill. Yet, a prophecy is born to the medicine cat of the clan, and he cant but help to see that it has to do with the family. Will the clan be saved in time, or will their own foolish mistakes make the three clan become just two?

* * *

**Alive: Book 1**

_**By.** Hidding-In-Shadows_

Chapter 3

* * *

Willowpaw let out a pant as she landed on her side, tumbling over the dirt ground of the training area. Her muscles ached from the training she was doing with Frostpaw. She sat up weakly, Frostpaw panting not far from her. Willowpaw's orange eyes looked over to her sister, her white pelt bright in the sunlight. Her built muscles were easily seen under her pelt as she leaped, landing on Willowpaw. Willowpaw hissed out and brought her back legs up, pushing the she-cat off of herself. Willowpaw stood and ran at her sister, her body protesting at pain rippled through her, but the tabby jumped and landed on her sister, pinning her down for the first time. Frostpaw began to struggle, but Willowpaw pushed her down hard, success in her eyes.

"Wonderful job Willowpaw!" Brightface called out form the side. Willowpaw looked up with pride in her orange eyes, her eyes locking with her mentors. Tigerlight sat next to the orange and white she-cat, his tail flicking with displease. Nightpaw, Petalpaw, Longfur, and Ringtail sat there also. Nightpaw gave Willowpaw and stern nod or approval, Petalpaw just rolling her blue eyes. Longfur leaned over and shared a few words with Birghtface before flicking her ear with his tail.

Frostpaw growled below Willowpaw and out of anger and embarrassment, her claws cam out. Frostpaw slashed Willowpaw' cheek before pushing the she-cat off of her with a big kick, her back claws digging into her soft belly. Willowpaw let out a cry of pain, landing hard on the dirt and rolling, dust and dirt matting her pelt.

"Willowpaw!" Brightface called out worriedly, running to her apprentice. Longfur followed he she-cat, calling over his shoulder for Nightpaw to follow. Brightface nudge her apprentice up to her paws, whispering to her that she was fine. Willowpaw's legs shook with exhaustion, her orange eyes finally showing their weakness. Brightface felt her heart drop and she gave her apprentice her shoulder and looked over to Tigerlight.

"I'm taking her back to camp. She's worked hard enough today." she called. Tigerlight nodded, his orange eyes narrowed slightly.

"She has a hunting patrol first thing in the morning with me though, remember that." he called out.

Willowpaw let out a small whimper and Brightface flicked her ear with her tail. "Don't worry, I'll talk him out of it Willowpaw." her mentor whispered.

"I've got her, you can walk ahead Brightface." Nightpaw's voice came from the other side of Willowpaw. She looked to the tom who put his shoulder out for her to lean on. Birhgtface thanked the older apprentice before bounding ahead a little ways, going to tell Wormfur about the exhausted she-cat. Longfur followe her, worry in his eyes. Willowpaw limped out of camp on Nightpaw's shoulder, her paws dragging.

It had been three moons since they started their training, and for the past two, all Tigerlight had been doing was making Willowpaw go out on earlier hunting patrols and day long battle training. Willowpaw would watch as Lightningstar and Tigerlight would talk, her fathers eyes landing on her and filling with an unknown emotion. There had already been three Meetings with the other Clans, and Willowpaw still hadn't been to one. Not only that, but Frostpaw _had_. She had been to every single one of the Meetings, even the one that came up right after their apprenticship. Nightpaw and Petalpaw got to go too.

Nightpaw.

Willowpaw looked up to the tom who looked ahead with hard orange eyes. He looked upset, angry. Something odd had been going on with him lately, and Willowpaw couldn't put her paw on it. He'd been getting colder it seemed, and not to just her, but Frostpaw too. Frostpaw, the she-cat that did anything for him. The she-cat that would sleep next to him, keep him warm at night. The she-cat that would brag about how he always treated her with care. The she-cat that would brag to Willowpaw about how Nightpaw would be her mate when she became a warrior.

The she-cat that was her sister.

"How are you holding up?" Nightpaw asked, snapping Willowpaw from her thoughts. She looked up to him to see him looking down at her with soft eyes. Softer eyes then she'd seen these past three moons.

Suddenly the whole situation changed. His mood was no longer that cold barrier. He was soft, warm even to her. She looked to him with confused eyes before telling him she was fine. She felt his lick her ear softly and then looked up to him with surprise.

"I-I'm sorry if I've been acting off lately." he whispered, his eyes darting around for a moment. "I'll explain tonight. Willow." was the last thing her said before they broke into the camp and his barrier went back up. Willowpaw felt a few eyes land on her and heard someone hiss out.

"Willowpaw, what in StarClan's name happened to you!" Darkflower trotted over from the fresh-kill pile, anger in her eyes.

Willowpaw opened her mouth to speak, but was cut off by Longfur who walked out of the medicine cats den with Brightface behind him. "Your other daughter. Frostpaw and Willowpaw were training especially hard today. After Willowpaw bet Frostpaw, Frostpaw attacked her."

Darkflower flinched back, surprise on her face. "W-what! Frostpaw would never!"

"But she did." Longfur hissed sharply. "Not only that, but Lightningstar has been working Willowpaw twice as hard as he has been working the others."

"We only want what's best for out daughter." Darkflower hissed back, her claws sliding out and digging into the ground. "You have no right to tell us how to raise our daughter. You don't know what it's like to have kits."

"I may not, but I know that making your daughter look like this," Longfur flicked his tail to the weakened Willowpaw with blood matted on her cheek, "isn't how it's done. Come one Willowpaw, Wormfur is waiting for you." Longfur wrapped his tail along the she-cat's shoulders, helping her to the den with Nightpaw on her other side. Willowpaw looked over her shoulder to her mother who was growling under her breath and glaring at her daughter before turning and jumping up to the leader's den. Willowpaw hung her head as she walked into the den, Longfur and Nightpaw letting her go.

"Oh my. Come here Willowpaw." Wormfur whispered, looking up to the she-cat. Willowpaw looked up and walked to the tom. He murmured under his breath a few things before touching her injured cheek lightly with his tail tip. "I need you to clean out your wounds. Then I put some herbs on them."

Willowpaw nodded and licked her paw, dragging it over her cheek. She heard Longfur and Brightface talk for a moment before a tail rested on her shoulder again, Longfur speaking. "Nightpaw and I are going to leave now. Feel better Willowpaw."

Willowpaw nodded to them and went back to her wounds as Wormfur began to chew some herbs up. He put them on his paw and applied them to her injuries softly. Once he finished, he pushed a few poppy seeds her way, telling her to take them. She licked them up and then he lead her to one of the nests in his den, telling her to sleep. She laid down and as she closed her eyes, she saw a flash of red before falling asleep.

-x-x-x-

Willowpaw stood in a large field, her eyes large as she looked around. The sky was filled with stars, not a cloud looming in the air. She inhaled the sweet scent of the grass, wind pulling at her fur.

"Do you like it here?" a voice asked behind her. Willowpaw looked over her shoulder to see a graying brown tabby tom sitting there. Next to him were two other older cats, she-cats. And then a small tom, a kit.

"What is this place?" she asked, looking around in wonder.

"StarClan." one of the she-cats, a ginger and white she-cat, meowed softly, her orange eyes looking at Willowpaw sadly. Willowpaw snapped her head and looked at them with frightened eyes.

"S-StarClan? I-I'm dead? I died!" she said, her fur bristling as she felt her heart begin to pound.

"Not yet. Close, but not yet." the other she-cat, a dark brown tabby, meowed, her blue eyes hard. Willowpaw took a sigh, hanging her head and then looked up at them.

"What do you mean close? What happened?"

The graying tom stepped forward, the other three turning and walking away. She watched as the tom sat in front of her, his eyes dark amber eyes unreadable.

"I'm Sparrowpelt. I was the last medicine cat of LightningClan." he said, his voice ragged.

"Wormfur's mentor . . ." she said lightly, her voice trailing off.

Sparrowpelt nodded and then his eyes changed to a hard look. "You must be careful at these times Willowpaw. There are certain cats who wish you dead."

"Dead! B-But who would wi-"

"We don't have a lot of time." Sparrowpelt hissed, making her flinch. "Just watch out. Winter is coming soon, and this leaf bare will not be a good one. Watch your back, trust only a few. Blood may not run as strong as you think." he said.

"What do you mean? Sparrowpelt!" she called out, standing up. The tom's pelt began to grow lighter and her gave her one last warning look before flicking his tail out and touching the tip of it to her forehead.

-x-x-x-

Willowpaw woke with a gasp, sitting upright in her nest. She looked around with large eyes to see Wormfur looked at her with worried eyes, Birghtface's eyes wide and frightened, and Nightpaw with herbs at his paws.

"What h-" she began, but felt something raise in her throat. She doubled over, coughing up something and felt a tail lay on her back. She looked up, Wormfur turning to get some moss and Brightface burring her face into her apprentice's shoulder.

"Willowpaw! You scared us so much! What happened, you stopped breathing!" she cried, looking up to her apprentice with worried blue eyes.

"I . . . I what?" she looked to Wormfur who now was dabbing what she coughed up with some moss.

"You stopped breathing." he said again, looking at the moss. "Someone must have came in and given you deathberries. See?" he flicked his tail to were a few berriers laid on the ground along with her meal from the morning. "I'll clean this up. You need to go eat. Brightface, go get some rest. Nightpaw, you can go too. Thank you for your help."

Willowpaw stood up, her body sore from her training, and she stumbled out of the den with Nightpaw and Brightface. Her mentor wished her a good night before trotting back to the warriors den, tail dragging. Nightpaw followed Willowpaw to the fresh-kill pile. Willowpaw pushed through it before grabbing a jay and walking to the willow tree in camp, laying next to it. Nightpaw sat next to her, watching as she plucked the feathers out of the bird.

"You can go to sleep. Don't you have training tomorrow?" she murmured through the feathers, glancing up to him.

"I wanted to talk to you." he said, laying next to her.

"What about?" she flicked her ear in confusion to her friend.

"Why I've been acting like a cold hearted fox lately." he smirked. Willowpaw chuckled and took a bite of her jay. Nightpaw's face fell and he looked down at the feathers, his claws sliding out. "Lightningstar told me that he was going to make me a warrior soon." he slipped his claws into the ground, digging at the soft dirt.

"What? That's great! Why would you be so-"

"I'm not done." he said, giving her a hard look. "He said that he was going to make me a warrior. But he also said that I can't be . . . friends with you. He said that he was going to make you Wormfur's apprentice because you weren't fit for warrior life. Because you're always exhausted after training, you never get along with Frostpaw, and you're rude to Darkflower. He-he said that he was going to make Frostpaw a warrior soon too, and that he was expecting me to get close to her." Nightpaw looked up to Willowpaw with sad eyes.

"He wants me to forget you and to move onto Frostpaw."

Willowpaw's eyes traveled down to the half eaten jay. Wormfur's apprentice? But she already shot that down! And her being rude to Darkflower? Her own mother blamed Willowpaw for something Frostpaw did! She did even want to get started with her and Frostpaw . . .

"Willowpaw, calm down." Nightpaw hissed, making Willowpaw look up and see her claws digging into the jay angrily. She blinked and slide her claws back in, suddenly not felling tired anymore. She pushed the jay away and looked down her her paws. Something then clicked and she looked up to him, confused.

"Forget me and move onto Frostpaw? What do you mean?"

Nightpaw sighed and stood up. "It's late. You need sleep. I'll see you tomorrow." he gave her ear a flick with his tail before turning and walking to the apprentices den. Willowpaw looked down at her jay and then stood, burying it and walked to the medicine cats den for a long rest.

* * *

_**LightningClan**_

**Leader:** Lightningstar- orange tabby tom with a pale ginger mark on his forehead with orange eyes (Mate: Darkflower) (Kits: Willowkit and Frostkit)

**Deputy:** Tigerlight- dark brown tabby tom with orange eyes (Apprentice: Frostpaw)

**Medicine Cats:** Wormfur- sandy colored tom with patches of fur and blue eyes

**Warriors:**

Ringtail- gray tom with tabby tail and green eyes (Apprentice: Petalpaw) (Mate: Grassshine) (Kits: Harespring and Stripefur)

Feverhead- brown tom with a going on fever and blue eyes (Mate: Beestripe) (Kits: Nightpaw and Petalpaw)

Darkflower- gray-and-white she-cat with blue eyes (Mate: Lightningstar) (Kits: Frostpaw and Willowpaw)

Grassshine- light brown she-cat with blue eyes (Mate: Ringtail) (Kits: Harespring and Stripefur)

Beestripe- pale gray she-cat with thick black stripe and orange eyes (Mate: Feverhead) (Kits: Nightpaw and Petalpaw)

Longfur- long-haired brown tabby tom with amber eyes (Apprentice: Nightpaw)

Brightface- orange-and-white she-cat with blue eyes (Apprentice: Willowpaw)

Harespring- light brown tom with green eyes

Stripefur- gray tabby tom with blue eyes

**Apprentices:**

Nightpaw- black tom with orange eyes

Petalpaw- brown she-cat with pale-gray patches and blue eyes

Frostpaw- pretty white she-cat with blue eyes

Willowpaw- dark gray tabby she-cat with orange eyes

**Queens:**

None

**Kits:**

None

**Elders:**

Badfang- black tom with green eyes and long teeth

Losteye- white she-cat with green eyes and blind in one


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary:** Willowkit and her sister Frostkit are born in calming times to one of the three Clan, LightningClan. But Willowkit doesn't feel all at home with her family, her parents seeming to sun her for her lack of skill. Yet, a prophecy is born to the medicine cat of the clan, and he cant but help to see that it has to do with the family. Will the clan be saved in time, or will their own foolish mistakes make the three clan become just two?

* * *

**Alive: Book 1**

_**By.** Hidding-In-Shadows_

Chapter 4

* * *

Willowpaw sat outside the medicine cats den, her tail flicking eagerly. The apprentice was was four moons into her training and her mentor was talking to Wormfur at the moment. Williowpaw looked over the camp with her orange eyes. She watched as Nightpaw and Petalpaw sat outside the apprentice's den. Frostpaw was sitting next to Nightpaw, licking his pelt clean. Nightpaw gave her a friendly look before looking up and over to Willowpaw, his own orange eyes warming up for a moment. Willowpaw felt her pelt turn warm for a moment before she broke the eye contact as she heard pawsteps come from the medicine cats den. She stood as Brightface walked out, a nervous look on her face.

"So, what did he say Brightface?" Willowpaw asked.

Brightface looked to Willowpaw. "I was right. Oh StarClan, what's Longfur going to say?" Brightface hissed lightly, worried.

"He's going to be happy Brightface! When do yo-"

Willowpaw was cut off by a yowl from the lip of the leader's den, a meeting being called. She gave her mentor a reassuring look before walking over where the rest of the Clan was meeting. She sat next to Harespring who gave her a friendly look as Brightface trotted over to Longfur, the tom purring and flicking her ear with his tail affectionately. Willowpaw looked up to Lightningstar, the tom sitting at the edge of the ledge, his orange eyes bright in the sunlight.

"We gather here today to welcome two new warriors to our clan. Nightpaw, Petalpaw, please step forward."

Willowpaw watched as Frostpaw gave Nightpaw's ear one last lick before the tom stood and walked to the front of the clan with his sister the two standing with pride in their eyes.

"Petalpaw, you have spent the past six moons learning the way of the Clans. Your mentor, Ringtail, has told me that he believe you are ready to become a warrior of LightningClan. Do you swear to uphold the warrior code?"

"I do."

Lightningstar nodded and looked out to the Clan. "From this day forward you will be known as Petalspots and we honor your commitment and strength."

Lightninigstar then looked down to Nightpaw, pride in his eyes. "Nightpaw, you too have spent the last six moons learning the way of the Clans. Longfur believes that you are also ready to become a warrior. Do you swear to uphold the warrior code?"

Nightpaw nodded.

"then, from this day on you will be known as Nightfall and we honor your bravery and loyalty."

Willowpaw smiled and stood with the rest of the clan, cheering the new warriors names. As the cheering died down and the two joined the Clan again, Lightningstar cleared his throat.

"It has come to my attention that one of our apprentices seem to be struggling with the duties of learning the warrior way. Because of this, I am going to move her to the spot of the medicine cats apprentice. Willowpaw, if you would please step forward."

Willowpaw felt her heart stop for a moment as the cats of the Clan turned to her in surprise. They moved, opening a path to the front of them, waiting for her to go. With shaking legs, Willowpaw stood and looked up to her father, eyes burning with the feeling of betrayal.

"No." she said simply, glaring to him.

"Are you refusing what your leader is telling you to do?" Lightningstar growled, standing up.

"Yes I am. I have been working hard these past four moons, and I'm not going to throw away my future because you see me as unfit." she swallowed hard and a few of the cats started to whisper.

"Willowpaw, do as your father tells you." Darkflower hissed from the crowd.

"No." a third voice joined in and everyone turned to see Brightface standing, anger in her eyes. "Willowpaw may have struggled with her training at first, but she has proved her self more then once that she is warrior material for this clan. I, as her mentor, suggest that you let her continue on with her training."

"As the leader, my say is what goes." Lightningstar growled angrily. "So Willowpaw, st-"

Lightningstar stopped and looked at the bushes to the camp as they rippled and Stripefur ran into camp followed by Grassshine. The two had gone out to hunt, but instead brought back wounds. Blood dripped from Grassshine's flank, a long cut dragged across it. Stripefur's ear was ripped and a series of cuts patterned his pelt.

"Stripefur, Grassshine, what happened?" Lightningstar asked, jumping from the ledge and over to them. Stripefur walked to him, murmuring something in the leaders ear. Lightningstar's face was hard but he nodded and looked over to the Clan. "Ringtail, Beestripe, Longfur, Nightfall, Patealspots, and Frostpaw, follow me." Lightningstar then looked to Willowpaw and Brightface. "You two come also. Now is your time to show me how much of a warrior you are."

-x-x-x-

Willowpaw ran through the forest, Nightfall's black tail in front of her. She felt Brightface's whiskers tickling her own tail as they ran through the forest. She noticed right away that they were headed to CreekClan's border. She could smell the scent of fish and water strong in the air. They broke through the trees and the patrol stopped running, coming to a stop at the edge of the river. On the other side, a silver tabby tom stood there, his blue eyes narrowed at Lightningstar.

"Creekstar, what seems to be the problem?" the orange tom asked.

"Some of our smaller streams are starting to freeze from the cold weather, Lightningstar. We would like to have control over this river for leaf-bare."

"We agreed upon our arrive to this new land that this river would be ours and all the others were yours, Creekstar."

The silver tom growled lightly. "I have not forgotten. But we've just gotten a new litter of kits. We have more mouths to feed, and we do not have enough prey for our clan."

"Well maybe if you didn't eat so much . . . " Frostpaw hissed. Creekstar looked down to her with a hard look.

"You should teach your apprentices more respect Lightningstar."

Lightningstar growled, his claws sliding out. "And you should not tell me how to run my Clan Creekstar."

Creekstar's eyes narrowed and then the two leaders yowled, CreekClan jumping over the river and onto LightningClan's territory, attacking. Willowpaw was tackled by a light gray tabby she-cat, the two rolling around on the ground. Willowpaw felt the she-cats claw prick her side, and Willowpaw slashed out, cutting a deep wound into her cheek. The she-cat hissed and bit on Willowpaw's ear roughly, tearing it. Willowpaw wrapped her front legs around the she-cat's neck and then brough her back legs up, slashing her underbelly with her back claws. The she-cat yowled and turned, retreating.

Willowpaw felt pride fill her body, but felt her heart drop when she heard a yowl of pain. She looked to see Brightface being attacked by two toms, the two pushing her to the river. Fright flared in Willowpaw and she rushed forward, pushing one of the toms, a black one, hard with her shoulder, making him tumble over. The other one, a blue-gray tabby, looked to Willowpaw and hissed, running at her and grabbing her by the scruff, picking her up. Willowpaw thrashed, giving the tom a good few blows on the face and then was dropped as someone tackled the tom. She saw gray and black fur fighting, the CreekClan cat then running away with a deep gash in his side. Nightfall hissed at him, blood falling from his own wounds.

Willowpaw turned to the other tom who was in mid-air. She felt her memory flicker and dodged the move easily, She turned around quickly as the tom was still in mid air and thrashed out her front paw, slashign the tom's back leg with her claws. He flipped over in mid air, landing on his back hard and Willowpaw then jumped on him, hissing and leaned down, biting his ear. The tom hissed in pain and kicked her off, turning sand retreating back to the river.

Creekstar called for his clan to retreat and Willowpaw watched them leave, panting heavily Brightface walked over to her, blood matting her own pelt from where a few wounds were. She have Willowpaw a proud looked before Longfur walked to her, giving her his shoulder and the two making their way back to camp.

"I see you remember the move I showed you." Nightfall meowed from behind the gray tabby. Willowpaw smiled and turned around, nodding.

"It's a good move. All you need to do is use it in battle." she smiled, remembering that day. Nightfall chuckled and turned back to the others, his eyes widening. Willowpaw, confused, looked to where he was and felt her heart drop. On the ground, Lightninstar laid in a pool of his own blood. Frostpaw was buried in his fur, whimpering. Willowpaw ran over, her heart pounding. She stopped and looked at his lifeless body in horror.

"L-Lightningstar?" she asked weakly.

Lightningstar didn't move and Willowpaw let out a small whimper. A tail then made it's way around her shoulders and she looked to see Nightfall sitting next to her. She buried her face into his shoulder, letting out a cry of sadness. Lightningstar may have disrespected her, but he was still Willowpaw's father.

"Don't be upset you two." a gruff voice came from in front of them and Willowpaw looked up to see Ringtail there. His own pelt had cuts along it but her leand down and nudged Lightningstar. "He simply it lossing a life. He'll be fine you two. Get back to camp and having Wormfur help you."

Willowpaw felt a weight be lifted off of her and she nodded, standing. She looked to Frostpaw who was glaring to her. Right now, the two should be leaning on each other, comforting each other, but Frostpaw just looked onto her sister with hate. Nightfall's tail fell from Willowpaw's shoulder and he walked forward, leaving the two. Willowpaw took a step to talk to Frostpaw, but she white she-cat ignore her and trotted forward, catching up with Nightfall.

* * *

_**RunningClan**_

**Leader:** Runstar- slim light brown tabby tom with amber eyes (Mate: Sandleg) (Kits: Windstripe and Spiderfur)

**Deputy:** Longwind- sleek white-and-gray tom with blue eyes (Apprentice: Mousepaw)

**Medicine Cat:** Healheart- slim cream-and-brown tom with amber eyes (Apprentice: Lightear)

**Warriors:**

Forestfoot- slim white tom with large brown paws and green eyes (Apprentice: Grasspaw) (Mate: Softpelt) (Kits: Lightear, Heartpatch, Duskkit, Moonkit, and Dirtkit)

Sandleg- small pale ginger she-cat with dark ginger legs and blue eyes (Mate: Runstar) (kits: Windstripe and Spiderfur)

Runningcloud- soft pelted small gray-and-white she-cat with light blue eyes

Fernheart- cream-and-gray she-cat with green eyes (Mate: Braveclaw) (Kits: Grasspaw and Mousepaw)

Rockfang- dark gray-and-black tom with icy blue eyes

Braveclaw- black tom with white chest and amber eyes (Mate: Fernheart) (Kits: Grasspaw and Mousepaw)

Heartpatch- pretty slim brown she-cat with a heart shapped patch on her chest and heather colored eyes

Windstripe- light gray-and-brown tabby she-cat with blue eyes

Spiderfur- dark brown tom with black underbelly and chest with amber eyes

**Apprentices:**

Lightear- tan tom with brown patches and blue eyes

Grasspaw- black tom with white patches and green eyes

Mousepaw- gray-and-white she-cat with amber eyes

**Queens:**

Softpelt- soft light brown she-cat with heather colored eyes (Mate: Forestfoot) (Kits: Lightear, Heartpatch, Duskkit, Moonkit, and Dirtkit)

**Kits:**

Duskkit- pale ginger tom with blue eyes

Moonkit- white she-cat with green eyes

Dirtkit- brown tom with darker speckling and pale green eyes

**Elders:**

Deaf-ear- black-and-white tom with pale green eyes who went deaf (Old Mate: Kindears) (Kits: Braveclaw and Runstar)

Kindears- retired queen with brown pelt and amber eyes (Old Mate: Deaf-ear) (Kits: Braveclaw and Runstar)

_**CreekClan**_

**Leader:** Creekstar- silver tabby tom with blue eyes

**Deputy:** Fishfur- silver she-cat with amber eyes (Mate: Reedtail) (Kits: Millowpaw, Hollowpaw, and Dashpaw)

**Medicine Cat:** Leapfish- black tom with blue eyes (Apprentice: Hollowfeather)

**Warrior:**

Waterpelt- blue-gray tabby tom with light blue eyes (Apprentice: Mosspaw)

Reedtail- black tom with a gray-brown tail and green eyes (Mate: Fishfur) (Kits: Millowpaw, Hollowpaw, and Dashpaw)

Troutheart- light gray she-cat with white mark on chest with blue eyes (Mate: Runlake) (Kits: Weedpaw and Flowerpaw)

Grasswhisker- light brown she-cat with green eyes (Old Mate: George) (Kits: Gingerkit and Mosskit)

Runlake- dark brown tabby tom with orange eyes (Apprentice: Gingerpaw) (Mate: Troutheart) (Kits: Weedpaw, Flowerpaw Cloudkit, Riverkit, Sunkit, and Mothkit)

Lakeleg- silver she-cat with dark gray legs and blue eyes (Apprentice: Flowerpaw)

Shorefur- light, sandy colored she-cat with blue eyes (Apprentice: Weedpaw)

Minnowpool- pretty silver tabby she-cat with amber eyes

Dashspots- light brown mottled tom with blue eyes

**Apprentice:**

Hollowfeather- black she-cat with blue eyes

Weedpaw- dark brown tom with orange eyes

Flowerpaw- light gray tabby she-cat with blue eyes

Gingerpaw- light ginger tom with green eyes

Mosspaw- light brown-white-and gray she-cat with blue eyes

**Queens:**

Troutheart- light gray she-cat with white mark on chest with blue eyes (Mate: Runlake) (Kits: Weedpaw, Flowerpaw, Cloudkit, Riverkit, Sunkit, and Mothkit)

**Kits:**

Cloudkit- light gray tom with white paws and blue eyes

Riverkit- gray tom with blue eyes

Sunkit- light brown she-cat with green eyes

Mothkit- dark brown-and-gray tabby tom with amber eyes

**Elders:**

One-ear- dark brown tom with one ear and orange eyes (Old Mate: Tinyfish) (Kits: Reedtail and Shorefur)

Tinyfish- sandy light brown tabby she-cat with blue eyes (Old Mate: One-ear) (Kits: Reedtail and Shorefur)

Fluffypelt- light gray-and-black tom with green eyes (Kit: Fishfur)

_**LightningClan**_

**Leader:** Lightningstar- orange tabby tom with a pale ginger mark on his forehead with orange eyes (Mate: Darkflower) (Kits: Willowkit and Frostkit)

**Deputy:** Tigerlight- dark brown tabby tom with orange eyes (Apprentice: Frostpaw)

**Medicine Cats:** Wormfur- sandy colored tom with patches of fur and blue eyes

**Warriors:**

Ringtail- gray tom with tabby tail and green eyes (Mate: Grassshine) (Kits: Harespring and Stripefur)

Feverhead- brown tom with a going on fever and blue eyes (Mate: Beestripe) (Kits: Nightfall and Petalspots)

Darkflower- gray-and-white she-cat with blue eyes (Mate: Lightningstar) (Kits: Frostpaw and Willowpaw)

Grassshine- light brown she-cat with blue eyes (Mate: Ringtail) (Kits: Harespring and Stripefur)

Beestripe- pale gray she-cat with thick black stripe and orange eyes (Mate: Feverhead) (Kits: Nightfall and Petalspots)

Longfur- long-haired brown tabby tom with amber eyes

Brightface- orange-and-white she-cat with blue eyes (Apprentice: Willowpaw)

Harespring- light brown tom with green eyes

Stripefur- gray tabby tom with blue eyes

Nightfall- build handsome black tom with orange eyes

Petalspots- brown she-cat with pale gray patches and blue eyes

**Apprentices:**

Frostpaw- pretty white she-cat with blue eyes

Willowpaw- dark gray tabby she-cat with orange eyes

**Queens:**

None

**Kits:**

None

**Elders:**

Badfang- black tom with green eyes and long teeth

Losteye- white she-cat with green eyes and blind in one


	5. Chapter 5

Summary: Willowkit and her sister Frostkit are born in calming times to one of the three Clan, LightningClan. But Willowkit doesn't feel all at home with her family, her parents seeming to sun her for her lack of skill. Yet, a prophecy is born to the medicine cat of the clan, and he cant but help to see that it has to do with the family. Will the clan be saved in time, or will their own foolish mistakes make the three clan become just two?

* * *

**Alive: Book 1**

_**By.** Hidding-In-Shadows_

Chapter 5

* * *

Willowpaw hissed in annoyance and slight pain as Wormfur applied herbs to her wounds from the short lived battle. Wormfur flicked her nose with his tail, grumbling at her to stay still. She rolled her eyes as the old tom covered the rest of her wounds. She stood and turned to him.

"I'm glad you didn't become my apprentice." he said, turning to the back of the den. "You can't be patient for StarClan's sake."

Willowpaw's pelt turned warm with embarrassment and Wormfur nosed through his herbs. "Do you think you'll get an apprentice soon?" she asked, tilting her head slightly.

"Well I did think it was going to be you, but like I said . . . " he turned to her and amusment layered his blue eyes. "I'm hoping that one of Brightface's kits will become my apprentice."

Willowpaw nodded, thinking about her mentor. "Should she go to the nursery? I'm sure someone else can train me. I don't want anything-"

"No worries, her, Longfur, and I already talked it out. Ones she reaches a certain time, I'll make her go into the nursery and Longfur will be your mentor. I was going to go tell Lightningstar once he rested. Lossing a life is hard on a leader."

Willowpaw nodded and looked outside of the den. Frostpaw was walking to their fathers den, a bird hanging from her jaws. Worry laced her blue eyes. Darkflower was already in Lightningstar's den, running up to him once he limped into camp. "I know this is none of my business," Willowpaw said, looking back to the fur-less tom, "but how many lives does Lightningstar have exactly?"

Wormfur stopped what he was doing for a moment and then grumbled. "You're right, it is none of your business." he turned to her. "But, since I can call you a friend of some sorts-"

"More like a daughter, you're like three times my age Wormfur." Willowpaw snickered. The tom rolled his eyes and cuffed her ear.

"As I was saying, he has two lives left I believe. Maybe one." Willowpaw felt her heart fall, but she nodded, understanding that he lost those lives to protect his clan. "Now go along, I need to go get some more herbs." Wormfur nudged her out of his den before walking out of camp himself. Willowpaw rolled her eyes and walked over to the fresh-kill pile, nosing through it. She grabbed the wing of a jay and tugged it out, sitting down.

"Mind if I share with you?" a voice came from behind and she looked to see Harespring standing there. He walked over and Willowpaw smiled.

"Sure. How's warrior life been for you?" she asked her friend, beginning to pluck the feathers out of the bird. Harespring joined her.

"Good. It's kinda tiring though. But it's been fun. I'm glad Nightfall and Petalspots joined us." he took a bite of the bird, purring happily. "This is really good."

Willowpaw nodded, taking a bite also. "Jay's have always been my favorite."

"I can see how." he took another bite and Willowpaw nodded. "I'm sorry about what happened with Lightningstar. I never thought he could be that way."

Willowpaw shrugged. "I guess you all see it differently then me. I'm use to things like that." She pushed the rest of the jay to him, feeling full. "Frostpaw was always their favorite."

"Well I don't see how." he said, licking his jaws clean. "Her pelt stands out too much. She's good at battling and hunting, but if she can be seen from a tree length away, then she's going to have a hard time."

Willowpaw laughed, standing and stretching. "I don't think I've ever heard someone talk about my sister like that. It's nice to know someone thinks she has flaws other then me for once." Willowpaw yawned, suddenly feeling tired. "I'm going to go rest. See you later Harespring."

He flicked her tail, saying bye. Willowpaw trotted over to the apprentices den, walking to her nest and curling into it, sighing with comfort. She closed her yes, feeling relaxed for the first time since her apprenticeship.

-x-x-x-

A moon later, as Willowpaw dreamed, Nightfall walked into the apprentices den quietly. He let his eye adjust to the darkness before walking over to the tabby and nudging her side with his paw. She murmured in her sleep, turning over and Nightfall sighed, pushing her harder this time. Willowpaw cracked an eye open and sat up with a yawn.

"What's the matter Nightfall." she asked, blinking the sleep out of her eyes.

"There's a Meeting tonight. I talked Lightningstar into letting you come. So hurry up fuzzball."

Willowpaw felt her heart jump and she stood up, walking out of the den after him. Brightface and Longfur were waiting for the two, Harespring there also. Lightningstar looked over the cats before nodding and leading them out of the camp. From what Willowpaw could see, Frostpaw wasn't there.

"She's in Wormfur's den for the night. Hurt her paw while training today." Nightfall said, glancing at the she-cat as she looked around.

"What are the Meeting's like? Are there a lot of cats? Do they just get along? How do they not argue? I wo-"

"Willowpaw, will you just shut up and see for yourself?" Harespring chuckled, flicking her ear with his tail. We'll be there in no time, just watch." Harespring then trotted forward, walking next to Petalspots.

"He's right. Just wait and see. It'll be ruined if we tell you what goes on." Nightfall said. "It's something you have to see for yourself."

Willowpaw mumbled about it being unfair and Brightface laughed lightly. "Come on, it's your first Meeting. We're almost there anyways."

Willowpaw trotted ahead eagerly, her nose twitching in the air. She could smell both CreekClan and RunningClan in the air. Her paws tingled with excitement as the group broke through a few bushes and came into a large clearing. Willowpaw's eyes grew wide as she looked at all the cats. She looked around to see a stump of a tree in the center of the cats. Two toms sat on it, Creekstar and a brown tom. Willowpaw was guessing that was RunningClan's leader. Two cats sat below the toms in the roots of the tree, a gray and white tom below RunningClan's leader and a silver she-cat below Creekstar.

"Come on, I want to introduce you to someone." Nightfall purred, laying his tail on Willowpaw's back and leading her through the crowd of cats. "Minnowpaw, Dashpaw!" he called, trotting over to two cats. Willowpaw instently recognized the she-cat, Minnowpaw. She had battled her when they faught against CreekClan.

"Nightpaw! Where is Frostpaw?" Minnowpaw asked.

"And it's Minnowpool and Dashspots." Dashspots, the tom, said.

"I'm Nightfall now. And Frostpaw couldn't come, she got her training today. But this is her sister, Willowpaw."

Minnowpool looked to Willowpaw. Willowpaw swallowed hard, expecting the she-cat to jumped at her, but instead she pretty silver tabby purred. "Willowpaw, Nightfall has told us about you. Great moves by the way." she flicked her ear with had a tear in it. "I'll remember you from this for now on."

Willowpaw purred with amusement, glad to see that the she-cat was talking to her regularly. "So you know Frostpaw?"

"Yeah. I met her and Nightpaw not too long ago. They're inseparable." Minnowpool laughed, sitting down. She looked to see Dashspots and Nightfall talking off to the side. and then leaned in. "Personally, I think he likes you. Everytime he could, he'd bring you into the conversation. I was wondering how long it would take for me to met you."

Willowpaw's pelt turned warm as Minnowpool let out a purr of humor. "I-no-but-"

"Hush now, the Meeting is beginning." Minnowpool flicked Willowpaw's ear with her tail, turning to the leaders. Willowpaw turned and watched as Creekstar stood up, clearing his throat.

"Prey has been tough to come across lately," he said, glancing to Lightningstar, "but we're managing. One of our queens, Troutheart, has also given birth to four new kits, Cloudkit, Riverkit, Sunkit, and Mothkit. We also welcome two new warriors, Minnowpool and Dashspots, along with our medicine cat, Hollowfeather. That is all." Creekstar sat and then the leader to RunningClan stood up.

"Prey has been good. We have three new warriors, Heartpatch, Windstripe, and Spiderfur. Also our medicine cat, Lightear. Softpelt has given birth to three healthy kits, Duskkit, Moonkit, and Dirtkit." he then looked to Lightningstar. "We scented a badger near the border." he then sat and Lightningstar nodded with thanks before standing up.

"LightningClan is doing well. We have two new warriors, Nightfall and Petalspots. One of our warriors is expecting kits. That's all." he then jumped off of the stump, ending the Meeting.

"Well, I guess I'll see you next time Willowpaw. Maybe you're have your warrior name then!" Minnowpool purred.

"Hopefully. See you later." Willowpaw stood to leave as Minnowpool walked over to Dashspots, the two walking off. Willowpaw looked for Nightfall, but saw him walking next to his sister. Willowpaw started to catch up to her Clan, Harespring trotting up next to her.

"How did you like it?" he asked.

"It was great. I met two CreekClan warriors. I actually battled one of them. But they were nice." Willowpaw ansered, shrugging through the bushes.

"That's good." Harespring purred. "Do you want to go hunting with me tomorrow?"

Willowpaw's ear twitched and she thought for a moment. "Brightface wanted to show me a few battle moves. Sorry, maybe another time Harespring."

The brown tom shrugged. "It's fine. Just wondering. Oh look, we're already back at camp."

Willowpaw looked up and smiled as she saw the camp entrance. She trotted through it and said goodnight to Harespring before walking to her den and curling up in her nest, feeling tired suddenly. Before she knew it, sleep over took her.

-x-x-x-

When she woke up, it was still dark out. It was close to dawn though, she could tell. She stood up from her nest and stretched, yawning. Now was the time to set her plan into action. The she-cat walked out of the den, looking around the sleepy camp. With silent paw steps, she walked out of the camp, simply telling Ringtail, who was on guard, that she was going to go get a drink. She bounded off into the forest, her tail flicking at the bushes around her. She twitched her nose, smelling for the prey she caught.

"Come on, it has to be around here . . . " she murmured to herself, sniffing at the ground. With a smile, she picked up the scent of the birds and dug them up quickly. She grabbed them by their wings and turned, bounding to the RunningClan border. She trotted along the scent line, waiting for the strong scent of the beast to appear.

Instently, it hit her and she dropped the prey, stepping back and sitting down. She flicked her tail around her paws, waiting for the thing to come. A few moments later, the black and white creature stumbled through a few bushes, looking at her with beady eyes and then to the pery. He lumbered over and sniffed at it before grabbing the bird in his jaws and tearing a chunk out of it. The she-cat smiled with satisfaction and stood, turning and sprinted to the CreekClan territory. She washed the scent from her pelt and then took a drink.

Upon returning to camp. she told Ringtail that she had slipped into the river and the tom told her to be careful next time.

He said that she wouldn't want to hurt her paw again.

* * *

_**LightningClan**_

**Leader:** Lightningstar- orange tabby tom with a pale ginger mark on his forehead with orange eyes (Mate: Darkflower) (Kits: Willowpaw and Frostpaw)

**Deputy:** Tigerlight- dark brown tabby tom with orange eyes (Apprentice: Frostpaw)

**Medicine Cats:** Wormfur- sandy colored tom with patches of fur and blue eyes

**Warriors:**

Ringtail- gray tom with tabby tail and green eyes (Mate: Grassshine) (Kits: Harespring and Stripefur)

Feverhead- brown tom with a going on fever and blue eyes (Mate: Beestripe) (Kits: Nightfall and Petalspots)

Darkflower- gray-and-white she-cat with blue eyes (Mate: Lightningstar) (Kits: Frostpaw and Willowpaw)

Grassshine- light brown she-cat with blue eyes (Mate: Ringtail) (Kits: Harespring and Stripefur)

Beestripe- pale gray she-cat with thick black stripe and orange eyes (Mate: Feverhead) (Kits: Nightfall and Petalspots)

Longfur- long-haired brown tabby tom with amber eyes

Brightface- orange-and-white she-cat with blue eyes (Apprentice: Willowpaw)

Harespring- light brown tom with green eyes

Stripefur- gray tabby tom with blue eyes

Nightfall- build handsome black tom with orange eyes

Petalspots- brown she-cat with pale gray patches and blue eyes

**Apprentices:**

Frostpaw- pretty white she-cat with blue eyes

Willowpaw- dark gray tabby she-cat with orange eyes

**Queens:**

None

**Kits:**

None

**Elders:**

Badfang- black tom with green eyes and long teeth

Losteye- white she-cat with green eyes and blind in one


	6. Chapter 6

Summary: Willowkit and her sister Frostkit are born in calming times to one of the three Clan, LightningClan. But Willowkit doesn't feel all at home with her family, her parents seeming to sun her for her lack of skill. Yet, a prophecy is born to the medicine cat of the clan, and he cant but help to see that it has to do with the family. Will the clan be saved in time, or will their own foolish mistakes make the three clan become just two?

* * *

**Alive: Book 1**

_**By.** Hidding-In-Shadows_

Chapter 6

* * *

Willowpaw walked back to camp, a mouse in her jaws. Brightface walked next to her, two voles hanging from her jaws. Willowpaw felt bad, the lack of sleep from the Meeting affecting her hunting that day. Not only that, but her training also. Brightface said it was fine and that she had to take it easy also for the kits. Willowpaw walked into camp, dropping the prey in the fresh-kill pile. Brightface told her apprentice that she was going to go talk with Longfur and walked off. Willowpaw nosed through the pile and picked out a mouse, sitting down and eating it.

"Hi Willowpaw." a cool voice came from behind her. She looked to see Darkflower standing there.

"Hi Darkflower. Is Something wrong?" she asked, swallowing her bite.

"No. Frostpaw wanted me to tell you that she wanted to go hunting with you and Brightface later. Tigerlight is doing a patrol and she found a spot that has a lot of mice."

"Brightface and I just came back from a hunting trip though." Willowpaw turned back around, taking another bite from the mouse.

"With leaf-bare coming soon, prey is needed. You'll be leaving a little after sun high." Darkflower turned and walked away before Willowpaw could say anything and sighed, looking down at the rest of her mouse. She ate the rest and then stood, stretching. She turned to go to her den, but was called by Nightfall. She turned to the tom to see him trotting to her.

"Something wrong?" she asked, turning around.

"Can I talk to you real quick?" he whispered, he asked, his orange eyes flicking around the camp for a moment.

"Yeah sure." she began to sit, but Nightfall flicked his tail, walking to the apprentice's den. Confused, the followed him, walking in after him. Nightfall stood in the corner, his paws digging at the soft dirt. She opened her mouth to say something, but a hole was quickly made that lead to behind the den and he slipped in it. She sighed, following him. She popped up on the other side and Nightfall was sitting there, the twig and leaves that made the den sticking into his pelt. Willowpaw sat down, her ear twitching as she also got pricked by them.

"What's going on? Why can't we just talk out there?" she asked, grumbling at the situation.

"It's Frostpaw. Something's going on with her." he said lowly, his eyes flicking around. "She keeps talking about how _she's_ going to be a warrior, how _she_ is going to raise kits, just all about her."

"And what's strange about that?" Willowpaw snorted. "She's always been like that."

"Yeah, but she would mention you. She'd talk about you, but she hasn't said anything in a while. Not only that, but Ringtail told me she went out earlier, she went somewhere, and when she came back, she smelled like RunningClan."

"So she went on a border check, Longfur does those all the time." Willowpaw said.

"You're not listening!" Nightfall growled. He stood, growling to himself. "I shouldn't have told you in the first place I guess." He turned and crouched through the hole. Willowpaw felt her pelt bristle with anger and followed him. He was already walking out of the den and she huffed, curling into her nest and closed her eyes.

-x-x-x-

Willowpaw woke to a yowl from the camp. She jumped up and looked outside to see Brightface running into camp, covered in scratches. Frostpaw followed, also covered.

"Badger!" the white-she cat yowled, turning back to the camp entrance. Everyone rushed out, teeth bared and claws out. The entrance shook and a badger busted through, blood on its jaws and it's eyes wild. Lightninstar yowled out and jumped at it, landing on it's back. Everyone followed also, jumping on the creature. Willowpaw raced forward and clawed at it's legs, the beast growling out and kicking her, making her tumble away. She looked up as someone yowled in pain and Tigerlight fell, blood dripping from his neck. Willowpaw shivered at the sight of the dead tom an then jumped back on the badger, biting on it's ear roughly. She heard another yell and thump as another dead cat fell. Willowpaw closed her eyes and felt the badger shake, her grip on his pelt breaking as she tumbled to the ground.

She looked to see the badger running out of the camp, blood matting his pelt. Lightningstar stood panting and looked around, spotting Tigherlight on the ground dead. He walked to his friend and touched his nose to his pelt, mumbling a few words. Willowpaw looked to see who the other cat was and saw Beestripe laying on the ground, lifeless. Nightfall and Petalspots had their nose's burred in their dead mothers pelt. Lightninstar jumped onto the ledge of his den and yowled out, calling for everyone's attention.

"This sudden attack caught us too off guard, and because of our carelessness we lost out faithful deputy and warrior." he looked over the cats and then sighed. "Frostpaw, please step forward. Thank you. You have lost your mentor, but have yet to complete your training." he looked up and his eyes landed on Nightfall, a spark of something in his eyes. "Nightfall, you have shown yourself as a strong and true warrior of our clan. You're first apprentice will be Frostpaw. Teacher her everything you know in these next few moons."

Nightfall's eyes grew slightly, but he nodded and walked forward, touching nose's with his first apprentice. Frostpaw looked about ready to jump out of her pelt. Willowpaw turned away and walked to Wormfur's den as the clan began to pay their respect for their fallen clan members. Womrfur stood at the lip of the den and followed her in as she dragged her paws.

"I'll get those wounds for you." he said, walking to the back of the den. Willowpaw sat down as the tom walked back over, herbs in his jaws. Silently, her chewed them and applied them to her wounds. She thanked him softly and the tom told her if she needed anything to come to him. He watched her with concerned eyes as she walked back to her den. She laid in her nest and closed her eyes, sadness covering her.

She awoke a few moments later when Lightningstar called for a new clan meeting. She simply stuck her head out of the den, flicking her ears to hear him.

"After some thought, I've decided on who the new deputy shall be. This tom has shown great strength and has helped me and my family very much. The new clan deputy will be Nightfall. That is all." the then turned, his orange disappearing inside of his den with a flick. Willowpaw watched her friend in shock as he stood there, struck still. Frostpaw purred next to him, leaning into his fur and licking his ear.

Suddenly Willowpaw understood.

Her family wanted nothing to do with her anymore.

-x-x-x-

Brightface stood next to her apprentice in the training hollow, Nightfall and Frostpaw practicing in front of them. Brightface could fell the tension in the air between Willowpaw and Frostpaw. The sisters seemed to hate each other and Brightface could only see one reason as to why they would, and it all revolved around the handsome black tom that had Frostpaw pinned to the ground at the moment. Brightface looked down her apprentice to say something, but the gray tabby was already walking into the trianing hollow. Brightface followed, rolling her sore shoulders as she prepared to battle with her apprentice.

"Alright, I want you to try that move I showed you before. The roll." Brightface said, crouching down. Willowpaw nodded and mimicked her move. Brightface jumped at her apprentice and Willowpaw rolled out of the way before turning and jumping in the air at Brightface. The orange and white she-cat turned onto her back, kicking her back legs up and pushing her away. Willowpaw landed on her paws a tail length away and Brightface smiled.

"Good landing. Have you been working on it?" she asked, licking her pelt down.

"A little. Longfur helped me when we were training yesterday." she trotted over to her mentor. "And while we are on the subject, when are you going to be moved to the nursery?" she asked.

"Soon, no worries. I just want to complete your training. You have your assessment in a few suns." Brightface flicked her tail. Willowpaw gave her a disapproving look and Brightface stood. "Fine, if you're so eager, we'll start your assessments now. Nightfall?" she looked to the black tom who nodded and walked over to her.

"You two have until sun fall to catch as much prey as you can. Use the knowlendge you've learn throughout your training. Willowpaw, you have near CreekClan. Frostpaw, RunningClan. Becareful and good luck." Brightface said, flicking her tail. Willowpaw turned and sprinted out of the hollow, her heart pounding. She didn't expect this to happen! She was just concerned about her mentor! Was she even ready for the assessment at all?

Willowpaw shook her head, as she came to a stop. Of course she was ready! Brightface has been training her for this day since she first became an apprentice. Willowpaw opened her mouth, trying to catch the scent of prey. She trotted through the forest, her ears twitching to pick up any noise. She stopped as the scent of a blue bird filled her noise. She looked up to see the bird siting in the tree above her, picking at it's feathers. Willowpaw licked her jaws and rolled her shoulders. She judged the distance and bunched her back legs up, crouching down. With a mighty push, she leaped up and swatted the bird with claws out, tearing it's wing. The bird let out a pained squeal and jumped to fly, only to plummet back down to the ground with it's injured wing. With a saticfied purr, she walked over to the bird, closing her jaws around it's neck, ending it's life. She looked up at the sky, seeing she had plenty of time and quickly dug a hole, burying the bird.

She trotted down the border of the two territories, trying to scent something else. A vole quickly caught her attention near the river bank and she caught it with ease, purring again with happiness. She had this assessment. She brought it back to the bird, burying it also. As she turned to find something else, the bushes rustled and she looked to see Nightfall walking through. His tail twitched and he looked at his paws.

"Willowpaw, you've passed you assessment, gather your prey and follow me."

"What, but I've only just started!" she exclaimed. He looked up to her with hard eyes and she sighed, grabbing her prey and followed the tom. he walked to te camp and she placed her prey down. Frostpaw was back also, sitting by the pile with Brightface next to her. Willowpaw's mentor had a slightly frigthened look on her face, but she stood and followed the tom up to the leaders den.

"What did you catch Willowpaw?" Frostpaw purred.

"A jay and a vole." Willowpaw sat and looked at her sister. "You?"

"Two mice and a rabbit." Frostpaw smiled wickedly and Lightninstar walked out of the den. Nightfall and Brightface jumped down and over to their apprentices and the leader called a meeting.

"It seems that our two apprentices are ready to become warriors after doing well on their assessments. Frostpaw, Willowpaw, please step forward."

The sister stepped in front of the cats, turning to the crowd. "We welcome two new warriors into our clan. Frostpaw, you have spent the last six moons learning the way of the Clans. Nightfall and Brightface believe that you are ready to become a warrior. Do you swear to uphold the warrior code?"

"Yes, I do!" Frostpaw said, her blue eyes bright.

"Then, from this day on you will be known as Frostpool. We honor your loyalty and intelligence."

Willowpaw nodded to her sister who trotted off into the group, purring happily. "Willowpaw, you have also spent the last six moons learning the way of the Clans. Brightface and Nightfall agree that you are ready to become a warrior. Do you swear to uphold the warrior code?"

Willowpaw nodded sternly, her eyes bright.

"Then from this day on, you will be known as Willowfrost."

* * *

_**LightningClan**_

**Leader:** Lightningstar- orange tabby tom with a pale ginger mark on his forehead with orange eyes (Mate: Darkflower) (Kits: Willowpaw and Frostpaw)

**Deputy:** Nightfall- built, handsome black tom with orange eyes

**Medicine Cats:** Wormfur- sandy colored tom with patches of fur and blue eyes

**Warriors:**

Ringtail- gray tom with tabby tail and green eyes (Mate: Grassshine) (Kits: Harespring and Stripefur)

Feverhead- brown tom with a going on fever and blue eyes (Kits: Nightfall and Petalspots)

Darkflower- gray-and-white she-cat with blue eyes (Mate: Lightningstar) (Kits: Frostpaw and Willowpaw)

Grassshine- light brown she-cat with blue eyes (Mate: Ringtail) (Kits: Harespring and Stripefur)

Longfur- long-haired brown tabby tom with amber eyes (Mate: Brightface)

Harespring- light brown tom with green eyes

Stripefur- gray tabby tom with blue eyes

Petalspots- brown she-cat with pale gray patches and blue eyes

Frostpool- pretty white she-cat with blue eyes

Willowfrost- dark gray tabby she-cat with orange eyes

**Apprentices:**

None

**Queens:**

Brightface- orange-and-white she-cat with blue eyes (Mate: Longfur)

**Kits:**

None

**Elders:**

Badfang- black tom with green eyes and long teeth

Losteye- white she-cat with green eyes and blind in one


	7. Chapter 7

Summary: Willowkit and her sister Frostkit are born in calming times to one of the three Clan, LightningClan. But Willowkit doesn't feel all at home with her family, her parents seeming to sun her for her lack of skill. Yet, a prophecy is born to the medicine cat of the clan, and he cant but help to see that it has to do with the family. Will the clan be saved in time, or will their own foolish mistakes make the three clan become just two?

* * *

**Alive: Book 1**

_**By.** Hidding-In-Shadows_

Chapter 7

* * *

Willowfrost sat at the base of the willow tree in their camp, the sound of crickets filling the air. Cold air whipped at her fur, leaf-bare almost upon them. She looked at her paws with hard orange eyes, her mind racing. She was still thinking of her warrior ceremony from a few sun's ago. The name she had been given . . . Willowfrost . . . Willowfrost sighed and looked up the the tree, the leaves almost gone. With a great jumped, she soared through the air and landed on the lowest branch of the tree. Digging her claws into the branch, she sat on it and looked around.

She could see outside of the camp, Longfur taking guard for the night. The forest looked dark and thick from the view, the branches reaching out to the night sky. She wrapped her tail along her paws as she looked throughout the camp. The nursery which had been empty for so long was now occupied by her old mentor and her friend Brightface. The apprentices den was empty now though, which wasn't very good. She looked to the leaders den, Darkflower and Lightningstar asleep in there. The medicine cat's den entrance shook every once and a while as Wormfur looked outside of the den, unable to sleep. She looked to the warriors den and saw as a dark form walked out of it. It walked to the tree, stopping below it and looked up with shinning eyes.

"Willowfrost, what are you doing up there again?" the voice sighed. Nightfall.

"Watching." she said, looking back out to the forest.

"Longfur's watching camp, now come back to bed. It's weird not having you in there." he murmured, trying to not wake the other clan members. Willowfrost shivered as a wind whipped through her fur and her Nightfall grumbled a few words before he leaped up and landed next to her. His fur fluffed up in the cool air and he looked to Willowfrost.

"Willowfrost . . . what's been going on?" he asked, concern laced in his voice for his friend.

"Willowfrost . . . why do you think he gave me that name?" she asked, not looking to him.

"What do you mean? He give everyone a warrior name that he thinks suits them." Nightfall answered, confused.

"He named me after her Nightfall. He named be after Frostpool." she looked down at her paws before looking to him, a hurt look in her eyes. "Do they really not care about me that much? Do they really think I'm less thins _her_?" Nightfall blinked in surprise at the tabby and she sighed, looking back at her paws. "I was always the slow one. I guess I kinda deserve it in a way."

Nightfall wrapped his tail around her shoulders, pulling her into him. "Do you really think she's better then you in every way? That she has more then you?"

Willowfrost snorted, closing her eyes and taking in Nightfall's warmth, the cold air no long making her fur raise. "It seems like it. A better hunter, better fighter, my parents just _adore_ her, and she's going to have you as a mate when she's older."

"I think you're wrong there." Nightfall murmured.

"What?" Willowfrost opened her eyes in surprise and looked to the black tom. He blinked down to her, affection in his eyes.

"Do you really think that fox-heart of a she-cat stole my heart? Please." he rolled his eyes and then looked up at the night sky. "The only she-cat I can even really stand is you Willowfrost."

Willowfrost's pelt began to grow warm with embarrassment and she looked down to her paws. Nightfall let out a purr of laughter and flicked her ear affectionately. "What about Frostpool and everything Lightninstar said?" she mumbled.

"I have a plan, don't worry. Now come on, you need sleep for once. We're going on a hunting patrol tomorrow." he hoped down and looked up to the she-cat. Willowfrost smiled as she leaped down and walked to the warrior's den with him behind her. She laid in her nest, Nightfall bringing his a little closer to her, Frostpool barely moving as he laid down. He gave Willowfrost's ear a lick before closing his eyes and falling asleep also.

-x-x-x-

Willowfrost walked into camp a few suns later, prey hanging from her jaws. She adjusted it, trying to carry it all when she heard a purr of amusement. She glanced up to see Harespring trotting over. "Here, I'll help you." he grabbed two mice and Willowfrost took the bird. She gave him a thank you that was muffled through the feathers of the bird. They walked to the pile and placed down the prey.

"Wanna share something?" he asked, nudging through the pile.

"Sure." Willowfrost sat down as he pilled out a vole and took a bite from it. She leaned down, taking a bite also, the meat still warm. Willowfrost swallowed the bite and glanced up to Harespring who was fidgeting slightly. She sat back up and gave him a confused look. "Is something wrong Harespring?" she asked.

"I just, I had a question for you. Would you like to b-" Harespring began, but was cut off by a yowl.

"Willowfrost, border patrol." Nightfall said, flicking his tail. Longfur and Frostpool stood by him. Willowfrost turned to Harespring and apologized before getting up and walking over. Frostpool was pushed up next to Nightfall, but the black tom gave Willowfrost a friendly look before they all walked out of the camp. "We're going to RunningClan border. Then I want to go on a short hunt, leaf bare is upon us and we need more kill."

"But it hasn't even started snowing yet." Frostpool said. Nightfall looked at her and then stopped. His claws slid out and he struck the ground, digging. The soil barely broke, hard and dry.

"When leaf bare comes, the ground his hard to dig through. That's why I want to hunt for a short time so we don't have to bury anything. Come on, let's get going before the sun starts to fall." he slicked his tail and the others followed him as they made there way to the border. After a few moments, they arrived and scented along it. Willowfrost's eyes kept flicking to Nightfall, the tom giving her loving glances and then getting rubbed on by Frostpool. He frowned at the she-cat, but went along with the affection, licking her ear. Frostpool looked to Willowfrost and gave her a smirk before trotting ahead to scent more of the border.

"Longfur, you can go hunting now if you want." Nightfall nodded to the tabby and he nodded back, turning and trotting off into the forest. Willowfrost walked up next to Nightfall.

"How much do you want us to catch before heading back?" she asked.

"Just one of two things. I know you went hunting earlier, so you can head back whenever." he said, looking to her. Willowfrost nodded before saying she was going to finish the patrol. Nightfall smiled and leaned down, nudging her with his muzzle lightly before walking ahead and catching up to Frostpool.

* * *

_**LightningClan**_

**Leader:** Lightningstar- orange tabby tom with a pale ginger mark on his forehead with orange eyes (Mate: Darkflower) (Kits: Willowpaw and Frostpaw)

**Deputy:** Nightfall- built, handsome black tom with orange eyes

**Medicine Cats:** Wormfur- sandy colored tom with patches of fur and blue eyes

**Warriors:**

Ringtail- gray tom with tabby tail and green eyes (Mate: Grassshine) (Kits: Harespring and Stripefur)

Feverhead- brown tom with a going on fever and blue eyes (Kits: Nightfall and Petalspots)

Darkflower- gray-and-white she-cat with blue eyes (Mate: Lightningstar) (Kits: Frostpaw and Willowpaw)

Grassshine- light brown she-cat with blue eyes (Mate: Ringtail) (Kits: Harespring and Stripefur)

Longfur- long-haired brown tabby tom with amber eyes (Mate: Brightface)

Harespring- light brown tom with green eyes

Stripefur- gray tabby tom with blue eyes

Petalspots- brown she-cat with pale gray patches and blue eyes

Frostpool- pretty white she-cat with blue eyes

Willowfrost- dark gray tabby she-cat with orange eyes

**Apprentices:**

None

**Queens:**

Brightface- orange-and-white she-cat with blue eyes (Mate: Longfur)

**Kits:**

None

**Elders:**

Badfang- black tom with green eyes and long teeth

Losteye- white she-cat with green eyes and blind in one


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary:** Willowkit and her sister Frostkit are born in calming times to one of the three Clan, LightningClan. But Willowkit doesn't feel all at home with her family, her parents seeming to sun her for her lack of skill. Yet, a prophecy is born to the medicine cat of the clan, and he cant but help to see that it has to do with the family. Will the clan be saved in time, or will their own foolish mistakes make the three clan become just two?

* * *

**Alive: Book 1**

_**By.** Hidding-In-Shadows_

Chapter 8

* * *

Willowfrost woke up in the night to a sharp pain in her side. She hissed in annoyance and looked to the spot on her belly. With a twitch of her nose, she sniffed the area, trying to see if a thorn had pricked her. Sighing, she closed her eyes and tried to fall back asleep when it happened again. She growled lowly and sat up, licking the area.

"Willowfrost?" a sleepy voice came from next to her and she looked at Nightfall. The black tom blinked his eyes, adjusting to the darkness. "What's wrong?" he asked, beginning to stand.

"Nothing, my side just hurts." she said, flicking her tail to tell him to lay back down. "I probably just have a thorn in my nest. Go back to sleep." she got up and looked into her nest, pressing her paw in it softly to find the thorn. Nightfall watched her with concerned orange eyes. After a little while, she laid back down and closed her eyes. "Sleep Nightfall. You have a patrol tomorrow morning, right?" she murmured.

"Yeah." he answered under his breath before laying back down. He closed his eyes and told her that if anything else happened to get him. Willowfrost hummed in acknowledgement. As she was on the line of reality and sleep, the cramp came again and she hissed out. She looked to Nightfall with wide eyes, scared she woke him, but the tom was fast asleep. Willowfrost stood and stepped around her clan mates before exiting the den. She stretched, snow layering the ground. It had been about two and a half moons since Nightfall had told her how he felt about her, and the two had made a secret relationship so Lightningstar and Frostpool wouldn't find out. A new cramp blossomed in her side suddenly and her pelt puffed out around her, trying to keep her warm. She trotted over the snow quickly and to the medicine cats den.

"Wormfur?" she asked, pushing her head in. From the back, two blue eyes looked up and the tom stood.

"Willowfrost? What are you doing up?" he yawned, stretching. "Shouldn't you be resting from the night patrol you had?" he walked over to the she-cat, looking her over. "Something's not right . . . " he murmured.

"That's why I came over here." she sighed, sitting down. "My side hurts, but I checked my nest and there were no thorns. And I don't think it was the vole I had earlier either."

Wormfur nodded and walked next to her, pressing her side with his paw lightly. He then let out a purr of laughter and Willowfrost looked up to him, confused. "What?" she asked. "What is it?" she asked.

"Oh Willowfrost, you're not hurt. You're far from it in fact." the hairless tom chuckled, walking to the back of his nest. "Congratulation Willowfrost, you're expecting kits."

Willowfrost let out a choked noise as she stood, surprised. "B-but-"

"Go get some rest Willowfrost. Just bring Nightfall with you tomorrow and we'll talk."

Willowfrost sighed and turned, walking away. "Good night Wormfur."

-x-x-x-

Willowfrost paced in front of the camp entrance. Nightfall had left with his patrol before she-cat cat could talk to him. She huffed and sat down, her tail flicking impatiently as her orange eyes scanned the area, looking for the hunting patrol. A bush shook and Ringtail walked through, two mice in his jaws. He nodded to she she-cat before walking into the camp. Willowfrost stood up as Stripefur, Frostpool, and Nightfall appeared, each carrying one piece of fresh-kill. Frostpool glared to Willowshine with her blue eyes and flicking Nightfall's ear with her tail before trotting through the camp entrance. Nightfall murmured to Stripefur and gave him the bird that he was carrying before walking to Willowfrost.

"I was going to talk to you earlier, but you had left." Willowfrost said, looking up to the tom.

"Is something wrong?" he asked, his orange eyes confused. "Did something happen?"

"Oh something happened alright." Willowfrost snorted, looking to her paws. "I went to Wormfur last night after the cramp didn't stop. He checked me over and found something."

"Found something? Are you sick? Hurt?" Nightfall leaned closer to her, touching his nose to her head. "You don't feel warm. Feverhead is _always_ warm. Was it someth-"

"Nightfall I'm expecting." Willowfrost hissed, cutting him off. Nightfall blinked at her for a moment before his eyes light up.

"When? How long? Should we move you to the nursery? Oh StarClan, now I can get Frostpool off of me." Nightfall sighed, looking up to the sky.

"Wormfur wanted us to stop by, but we should keep it on the down low, alright? Lightningstar and Frostpool would be mad as foxes if they found out. Lightningstar might even have a new deputy. I wouldn't want that happening to you."

Nightfall looked to her and purred in amusement. He leaned forward, nuzzling her face softly. "No worries. I'm sure everything with work it's self out. Now let's go see Wormfur."

Willowfrost smiled and the two walked into camp and over to the medicine cats den. Inside, the tom was mumbling to himself, his tail flicking rapidly. "Wormfur, is something wrong?" Willowfrost asked the tom. He turned around, blinking his blue eyes.

"Oh no. Nothing at all." he said, turning his body fully around to them. "I just wanted to tell you two that there are kits on the way. Willowfrost, I want you to move into the nursery as soon as possible."

"Is she already that far into expect?" Nightfall asked, surprised.

"No. It's just for the safety of the kits." Wormfur said.

Nightfall and Willowfrost looked at each other for a moment. The exchanged a few looks and then Willowfrost opened her mouth to say something when a yowl echoed through the camp. Wormfur sighed, mumbling about StarClan as he walked to the back of the den and grabbed some herbs. "I'll be back." he said, pushing past them. Longfur was rushing over and Wormfur flicked his tail, telling the tom to follow him. They walked into the nursery and Willowfrost sighed.

"I hope she'll be okay." she murmured as Brightface let out another yowl.

"She'll be fine. Wormfur is excellent with births. When he's done, we'll move you to the nursery. If anyone asks, just change the subject or something, okay? That is, if you still want to keep it on the down low." he said. Willowfrost nodded, agreeing and soon Wormfur walked back over.

"Two kits, one she-cat and one tom." he said, sitting in front of them. "Now, are you going to move into the nursery or not?" he asked.

"I'll go move my nest." Willowfrost meowed soflty. She flicked Nightfall's ear with her tail before walking out of the den. Nightfall watched her with affection in his eyes. Wormfur sighed and walked over to him, laying his tail on the toms shoulders.

"I need to tell you something Nightfall. When Willowfrost and Frostpool were born, I received a prophecy."

-x-x-x-

Willowfrost smiled to her friend as her and her mate looked at their new kits. The she-cat, Applekit, had a dark ginger pelt and the tom, Tawnykit, was a dark brown with white color, faint tabby markings on him. Longfur licked his mates ear before getting up and leaving her with the kits to suckle. Brightface licked their fur.

"It's a tough time to have kits." the ginger-and-white she-cat said softly, curling her tail over the newborns. "But I know they're strong. So Willowfrost, who's the tom?" Brightface looked up to her friend, her blue eyes bright with curiosity.

"We, ah, don't really feel like making it a big thing Brightface. The right time will come. Besides, you should be sleeping after giving birth to two beautiful kits."

Brightface purred with amusement. "You're right, I am pretty tired. Can you make sure the kits are okay?" she asked, closing her eyes.

"Of course." Willowfrost smiled and looked down at the kits. Soon her and Nightfall would have kits like that.

* * *

_**LightningClan**_

**Leader:** Lightningstar- orange tabby tom with a pale ginger mark on his forehead with orange eyes (Mate: Darkflower) (Kits: Willowfrost and Frostpool)

**Deputy:** Nightfall- built, handsome black tom with orange eyes (Mate: Willowfrost)

**Medicine Cats:** Wormfur- sandy colored tom with patches of fur and blue eyes

**Warriors:**

Ringtail- gray tom with tabby tail and green eyes (Mate: Grassshine) (Kits: Harespring and Stripefur)

Feverhead- brown tom with a going on fever and blue eyes (Kits: Nightfall and Petalspots)

Darkflower- gray-and-white she-cat with blue eyes (Mate: Lightningstar) (Kits: Frostpool and Willowfrost)

Grassshine- light brown she-cat with blue eyes (Mate: Ringtail) (Kits: Harespring and Stripefur)

Longfur- long-haired brown tabby tom with amber eyes (Mate: Brightface) (Kits: Applekit and Tawnykit)

Harespring- light brown tom with green eyes

Stripefur- gray tabby tom with blue eyes

Petalspots- brown she-cat with pale gray patches and blue eyes

Frostpool- pretty white she-cat with blue eyes

**Apprentices:**

None

**Queens:**

Brightface- orange-and-white she-cat with blue eyes (Mate: Longfur) (Kits: Applekit and Tawnykit)

Willowfrost- dark gray tabby she-cat with orange eyes (Mate: Nightfall)

**Kits:**

Applekit- dark ginger she-cat

Tawnykit- large dark brown and white tabby tom

**Elders:**

Badfang- black tom with green eyes and long teeth

Losteye- white she-cat with green eyes and blind in one


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary:** Willowkit and her sister Frostkit are born in calming times to one of the three Clan, LightningClan. But Willowkit doesn't feel all at home with her family, her parents seeming to sun her for her lack of skill. Yet, a prophecy is born to the medicine cat of the clan, and he cant but help to see that it has to do with the family. Will the clan be saved in time, or will their own foolish mistakes make the three clan become just two?

* * *

**Alive: Book 1**

_**By.** Hidding-In-Shadows_

Chapter 9

* * *

Willowfrost dragged her tongue over the ginger kits head, cleaning her fur. The she-cat grumbled, squirming in the tabby's paws.

"Stay still. I'm almost done" Willowfrost mumbled to the kit, licking some of the fur on her head down. "There, you can go now." the she-cat jumped from Willowfrost's paws, her eyes opening to show a clear blue color. She trotted over to her mother who was still cleaning Tawnykit's long fur. Willowfrost purred in amusement as she turned in her nest, resting her chin on her paws. As she closed her eyes, someone entered the den. Willowfrost looked up to see Harespring standing there, a rabbit in his jaws. He placed it down and looked at the two queens.

"I caught this earlier. Nightfall told me to bring it to you two. He said you needed it more." the brown tom murmured before looking to Willowfrost with slightly saddened eyes. "How are you felling?" he asked.

"I feel fine Harespring. Any day now." Willowfrost looked to her large belly with a purr. Harespring nodded and then said bye, leaving the den.

"Poor tom. He's heartbroken." Brightface sighed, watching him through the lip of the den. Willowfrost watched too as the brown tom walked to the fresh-kill pile, nosing through it with his tail dragging. Petalspots walked out of the warriors den and stretched. She spotted him and her ears pricked up as she walked to him.

"I think he'll manage. Soon even he'll see how Petalspots feels about him." Willowfrost sighed, rolling her shoulders. She let out a small hiss as the kits kicked at her belly. "Oh hush up now." she murmured to them, pressing her nose to her belly. Brightface purred with amusement.

"You know, once they're born, we're going to be able to tell who the father is." the orange and white she-cat hummed, pulling the rabbit to her and taking a bite from it.

"Yes, we understand that." Willowfrost sighed, looking outside of the den. Nightfall was sitting below the leaders den, talking to Feverhead. Frostpool was pushed up against him, their furs mixing together. "Once they're born, I'm hoping everything will turn out for the better."

"I'm sure they will." Brightface smiled to her old apprentice. She already knew who Willowfrost's mate was. She knew it from the night she saw the two talking out by the willow when Willowfrost had first become a warrior that the two were going to have kits of their own. She was sure that the only other cat that had known of the father was Wormfur.

Frostpool sure didn't know because she was still pushing up on the tom like they had been mates for years. Nightfall looked down to her uncomfortably and then excused himself, walking to the dirt place. Feverhead exchanged a few words with Frostpool before walking to the warriors den, his tail flicking behind him. Brightface looked back to the she-cat to see her sleeping. She took another bite of the rabbit and then pushed it to the side, saving the rest for Willowfrost when she woke.

-x-x-x-

When Willowfrost woke, it was sudden. She lurched forward, pain rippling through her body. She hissed out and looked to her belly. "Brightface." she hissed. Brightface looked up and her eyes widened in surprise.

"Oh my. Don't worry, I'll be right back." she stood, her kits tumbling away from her.

"Where's Brightface going Willowfrost?" Applekit asked, yawning.

"To get Wormfur." Willowfrost hissed lightly. "You're going to have some play mates soon." she dug her claws into the ground as it rippled through her again. Soon, Brightface came back, snow covering her paws. Wormfur followed, setting down some herbs. He told her to eat them and then walked behind her, pressing his paw onto her belly. Brightface ushered her kits away, turning them away from the birth.

"Just breath easy Willowfrost." Wormfur murmured, pressing on her belly as pain rippled through her again. "It'll be over soon."

After a few minutes, four kits lay at her belly, suckling. Willowfrost looked down at them with tired and loving eyes. Wormfur nodded to her. "I'll be back tomorrow to check on them. Try to keep them warm. It seems awfully cold tonight." The tom then left, leaving the new mother to her kits. Brightface purred at the kits, walking to her friend.

"What are their names going to be?" she asked softly.

"I'll wait for their father to come and help me." Willowfrost purred lightly, licking her kits heads. "He'll be here soon I bet."

A yowl came from camp suddenly and both of the she-cats looked up. Brightface said she'd be back and walked out of the den, looking around. Willowfrost heard some frantic voices, and a hiss or two, then suddenly a cat busted through the den. Willowfrost heard Applekit and Tawnykit cry out and she called them to her, the kits getting behind her. Willowfrost stood over her new born kits as they cried out and growled at the intruder. The smell of CreekClan filled the den and Willowfrost blinked in surprise by who she saw.

Minnowpool.

"Minnowpool . . . " she mumbled. The she-cat turned to her with a hiss, claws out. Willowfrost flinched back and then slid her own claws out, growling. "There are kits in here, get out."

"Just what CreekClan wants, to get rid of the future." she growled, jumping at Willowfrost. Willowfrost slashed out as she leaped forward also, trying to keep the kits behind her. Minnowpool's claws dug into Willowfrosts face, slashing her nose. Willowfrost hissed and wrapped her paws around the she-cats neck, falling to her back and tore at her belly with her back claws. Minnowpool yelled out and bit Willowfrosts ear, making her let go and then fled from the den. Willwofrost panted and looked over to the kits.

"Applekit, Tawnykit, get them to the back of the den. Hurry." Willowfrost picked up two of her kits and put them to the back of the den as Applekit nudged one, making it stand with shaking legs and tumble away to its siblings. Tawnykit followed suit and the two kits stood in front of the squealing newborns, their claws out. Willowfrost walked around them, laying next to her kits and pushing them to her belly, whispering soothing words to they could be quite.

"Don't worry Willowfrost, we wont let anything happen to you or the kits." Applekit mewed, her fur fluffing up.

"Yeah, we're warriors!" Tawnykit yowled.

"Get behind me you two." Willowfrost hissed. "You're going to hurt yourselves."

As she went to pick them up, a second CreekClan cat came into the den, yowling. Willowfrost stood to defend him off when he slashed out, hitting Applekit in the face. Applekit cried out as blood bursted from her face and the ginger she-kit fell to the floor of the den. Tawnykit cried out, running to his sister and Willowfrost growled, slashing the tom's neck. He cried out in pain and backed out as blood began to drip from the cut. He turned to flee but a mass of black landed on him, pinning him down. Willowfrost shielded the kits as the black tom closed his jaws around the toms neck, ending his life. Willowfrost licked Applekit's wound, cleaning the blood from her eyes.

"Applekit, are you okay?" Tawnykit whimpered.

"I can't see Willowfrost! Black, black everywhere!" the small ginger she-cat cried out.

"Shh, it'll be okay. I'll go ge-"

"Willowfrost! Are you okay?" a frantic voice came from the lip of the den and Nightfall entered, his eyes wild and blood matting his pelt. Willowfrost grabbed Applekit's scruff and gave her to the tom.

"Take her to Wormfur, now!" she said, Nightfall nodding and turned, running into the battle with his head ducked and sprinting to the medicine cats den.

Willowfrost curled around her kits along with Tawnykit, the tom pushing his cold nose into her shoulder. "Is Applekit going to be okay?" she asked, his voice strained.

"I don't know Tawnykit. Just be quite, everything is going to be okay."

Willowfrost's ears twitched as she heard a chuckle from the entrance of the den. She lookd up to see a white form standing there, wild blue eyes looking at her.

Frostpool smiled wickedly, her claws sharp and out.

"Nothing is going to be okay Willowfrost."

* * *

_**LightningClan**_

**Leader:** Lightningstar- orange tabby tom with a pale ginger mark on his forehead with orange eyes (Mate: Darkflower) (Kits: Willowfrost and Frostpool)

**Deputy:** Nightfall- built, handsome black tom with orange eyes (Mate: Willowfrost) (Kits: Unknown)

**Medicine Cats:** Wormfur- sandy colored tom with patches of fur and blue eyes

**Warriors:**

Ringtail- gray tom with tabby tail and green eyes (Mate: Grassshine) (Kits: Harespring and Stripefur)

Feverhead- brown tom with a going on fever and blue eyes (Kits: Nightfall and Petalspots)

Darkflower- gray-and-white she-cat with blue eyes (Mate: Lightningstar) (Kits: Frostpool and Willowfrost)

Grassshine- light brown she-cat with blue eyes (Mate: Ringtail) (Kits: Harespring and Stripefur)

Longfur- long-haired brown tabby tom with amber eyes (Mate: Brightface) (Kits: Applekit and Tawnykit)

Harespring- light brown tom with green eyes

Stripefur- gray tabby tom with blue eyes

Petalspots- brown she-cat with pale gray patches and blue eyes

Frostpool- pretty white she-cat with blue eyes

**Apprentices:**

None

**Queens:**

Brightface- orange-and-white she-cat with blue eyes (Mate: Longfur) (Kits: Applekit and Tawnykit)

Willowfrost- dark gray tabby she-cat with orange eyes (Mate: Nightfall) (Kits: Unknown)

**Kits:**

Applekit- dark ginger she-cat with clear blue eyes

Tawnykit- large dark brown and white tabby tom with amber eyes

**Elders:**

Badfang- black tom with green eyes and long teeth

Losteye- white she-cat with green eyes and blind in one


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary:** Willowkit and her sister Frostkit are born in calming times to one of the three Clan, LightningClan. But Willowkit doesn't feel all at home with her family, her parents seeming to sun her for her lack of skill. Yet, a prophecy is born to the medicine cat of the clan, and he cant but help to see that it has to do with the family. Will the clan be saved in time, or will their own foolish mistakes make the three clan become just two?

* * *

**Alive: Book 1**

_**By.** Hidding-In-Shadows_

Chapter 10

* * *

"Frostpool, what are you doing here, you should be fighting off CreekClan." Willowfrost said slowly, her eyes flicking over her sister with fright. Frostpool looked at Willowfrost's kits, her eyes landing on a gray, almost black, one. Sorrow filled her blue eyes for a moment before flicking back to her sister's orange eyes, a snarl escaping her lips.

"I'm taking care of something that I should have done a long time ago." Frostpool stepped forward, getting closer and closer to her sister. Willowfrost felt her kits tremble against her stomach, mewling for milk and shivering from the cold. As Frostpool loomed over her, a fluff of gray fur appeared at her legs and she yowled out, looking down. Tawnykit clenched his jaws around the white she-cat's leg, blood blossoming from the area. He let go and then hissed, slashing his claws and cutting her nose open. Frostpool stumbled back and growled.

"Why you little . . ."

"Frostpool." a cool voice came from the den entrance and both she-cats looked to see Nightfall standing there. His orange eye were narrowed dangerously and threatening. "Step away from my kits."

Frostpool looked at the tom with wide, scared blue eyes. "Nightfall . . . there has to be some mistake." she whispered, stepping to him. "Those couldn't be your kits. Willowfrost is nothing. I'm the one you love, I'm the one who's going to have you're kits, not her."

"Leave." Nightfall snarled, his teeth bared.

"Nightfall . . ."

"Leave!" he thrashed his paws out, slicing her ear and the white she-cat pushed past him, frightened. Nightfall walked over to his mate, leaning down and licking her ear. "Are you okay?" he asked, his voice soft.

"I'm fine. What did Wormfur say about Applekit?" she asked, looking at him with worried eyes.

Nightfall gave her a sad look then looked to Tawnykit who went back to cowering in Willowfrost's shoulder. "I-I'll tell you at an appropriate time. Right now I want to keep you and them safe." he looked to his kits and love blossomed in his eyes. "They're beautiful Willowfrost."

Willowfrost went to say something when a loud yowl came from camp, announcing CreekClan's retreat. Nightfall said he would be back and slipped out of the den. Willowfrost watched as he walked around the camp, talking to the injured cats. A cry came over the camp and Nightfall turned sharply to see a cat huddled over a dead body. He walked forward to see Darkflower pushing her nose into her dead mates pelt. Lightningstar lay on the ground, his belly ripped open. His eyes open and lifeless. The tom flicked his tail as other cats tried to see, the others backing off.

"I'm sorry for your loss Darkflower." he said, touching her shoulder lightly with his tail tip. He turned to the clan and then looked up at the leaders den and jumped up on the ledge, yowling out. "I want those with sever wounds to go to Wormfur, the others are to look for any damages to the camp. That is all." he them jumped down, his eyes hard as he ushered Darkflower away and to Wormfur's den. Ringtail, Grassshine, Stripefur, and Petalspots all sat in there also, deep wounds bleeding and eyes weak. Applekit lay in the back, herbs and cottonwebs covering her eyes, she kit asleep. Wormfur looked to the tom and read his eyes, apologizing to the others as he excused himself. The two walked over to the dead body of the leader, looking down at it.

"What do we do now?" Nightfall asked.

"We? I think you mean what do _you_ do now. You're the leader now Nightfall. You need to get you're nine lives." Wormfur rasped. A hiss of pain came from Wormfur's den and he sighed. "Burry him and then we will talk about what we'll do next." Wormfur then returned to his den. Nightfall leaned down and touched his nose to the tom's shoulder before calling over Harespring and Feverhead, the three toms begining to dig.

Willowfrost watched as Brightface walked int, Tawnykit running to her side. Brightface looked around and then to Willowfrost with worried eyes. "Where is Applekit?"

Willowfrost gave her a sad look. "With Wormfur. A tom ran in here and before I could do anything, he slashed her face."

Brightface gasped and then let out a low moan of saddness, falling into her nest. Tawnykit told his mother not to worry and that everything was going to be okay, nudging her cheek. Willowfrost looked down to her own kits, the newborns now asleep in her belly. She touched each of their heads with her nose, glad that they had made it through the birth and the battle with success. Willowfrost lowered her head, sleep suddenly over taking her.

-x-x-x-

She woke the next morning to her kits sucking on her belly. Willowfrost let out a light purr and licked their heads. She looked up to see Brightface still asleep. Tawnykit lay curled into his mother belly, but his amber eyes focused on the ground, worried. Willowfrost felt sorrow for the young tom and was about to talk to him when Nightfall walked into the den. He placed two mice down and then walked over to his mate, sitting next to her. His orange eyes ran lovingly over his kits, a soft purr raising from his throat.

"We still have to name them." he said.

"I've already thought of a few." she whispered, making sure she wouldn't wake Brightface. "I was thinking Jaykit for this tom." he tail flicked to the first kit curled into her, his dark gray fur migling with her and his thick black stripes popping out. "And Flowerkit for this one." she looked to the largest she-cat, her light gray pelt dappled with white spots that were rimmed with black.

"I love them." he purred. "What about Rainkit for this one." he touched his nose on the largest's kits head, the dark gray tom. "And Lilykit for the other." the smallest kit, a she-cat with long light gray fur and black stripes looked up at the mention of the name, letting out a small mewl. Nightfall let out a pur and nuzzled his daughter. "I guess she likes it."

Willowfrost agreed, nudging her new kits. "Was anyone injured severely in the battle?" Willowfrost asked, looking up to him. Sorrow filled the black tom's eyes.

"Lightningstar was killed. He's in StarClan now." Willowfrost's orange eyes opened wide with surprise and then hurt as she looked to her kits, thinking he never got to see them. She then looked up to Nightfall.

"You're the leader now." she murmured. Nightfall nodded and then looked outside of the den. He excused himself and left, walking across the camp to where Wormfur sat outside his den.

"How is she?" Nightfall asked the medicine cat as they walked into the den. Wormfur frowned slightly as he lead the new leader to the ginger she-kit. She lay sleeping and the cobwebs lay to the side of her. Rough, deep scratches ran over her eyes, blinding her permanently. Nightfall felt a pang of sorrow in his chest. "She won't be a warrior . . ." he murmured lightly.

"No. But she can be a medicine cat." Wormfur said. "When she heals and reached the right age, I'll take her in. She may not like it, but it's better then rotting away in the elder's den." Nightfall nodded, agreeing with the tom. "Also, StarClan visited me last night and told me what to do." Wormfur turned and walked to the back of the den and grabbed something, turned back around a placed a leaf down, a few seeds laying it in. "Poppy seeds. They help you fall asleep. Take them and then go to the leaders then. From then on, you're on your own." Nightfall leaned down and lapped the seeds up and nodded to the tom, turning and walked out of the den.

Nightfall looked around camp and then walked to the leaders edge and jumped up to it, walking into the den. His paws felt heavy as he circled Lightningstar's old nest and then laid in it, closing his eyes and letting sleep take him over.

He woke a moment later with a jerk, standing in a star filled field. Nine cats, four of who he knew, sat in front of him. Nightfall's eyes widened as he spotted Beestripe sitting there, her eyes looking to her son with pride. He stood and went to take a step when Lightningstar stood and stepped foreword, blocking him. "We're here to give you your nine lives." he said with his deep voice. Nightfall nodded as Lightningstar stepped forward and touched his nose to the toms forehead."With this life I give you leadership. Use it well to lead your Clan in the right direction." The tom stepped back and Beestripe stepped froward with a smile.

She touched her nose to her son's head with a purr. "With this life I give you love. Use it well to show love to your kits." she then licked his head and then stepped back. Tigerlight stepped forward, the old deputy smiling.

"I couldn't have thought of a better cat to take my place." he purred and touched his nose to the toms forehead. "With this life I give you trust. Use it well as relying on your warriors when times are troubling."

As the tom stepped back, the old medicine cat walked forward. Sparrowpelt was his name. Nightfall remembered him from when he was just a kit and got greencough. The tom pressed his nose to the black tom's head. "With this life I give you wisdom. Use it well to guide your Clan through the hardest of times." As he stepped back, a she-cat of a brown tabby color stepped forward, her blue eyes bright.

Nightfall could vaguely remember her, Owlwing he thought her name was. She touched her nose to his forehead, a flash of a memory from her going to him. He watched as she grabbed a small, black kit as the tom was beginning to fall off of a cliff and tossed him to the side, the cliff breaking under her paws as she yowled out and fell to her death. The kit looked over with frightened eyes, kit Nightfall saved by the she-cat.

"With this life I give you courage. Use it well when making slit choice decisions for your Clan and clanmates." Owlwing stepped back and a kit hopped forward, his orange pelt bright.

Nightfall leaned down, amused by the kit, leaned his head down and the kit touched his nose to the toms head. A flash of white covered Nightfall before he saw the same kit laying in thick snow, cold lake water lapping at his lifeless body. "With this life I give you kindness." the kit mewed, his voice high. "Use it well to help and understand your warriors, apprentices, elders, and kits." the kit then turned and bounded away to Owlwing, sitting in between her paws.

Another she-cat, one with a striking pelt of orange-and-white, stepped forward and touched her nose to Nightfall's head, showing a vision of her running through a forest, two dogs following her. It cut to three kits who ran from a bush near by, returning safe to camp. "With this life I give you intelligence. Use it well when planning for the Clan."

The three other cats, older cats who looked older then LightningClan's elders. They gave him the lives of bravery, loyalty, and forgivness, each sharing their own story with a vision. Once the last cat stepped back, Lightninstar stepped forward again. "I hail you by your new name, Nightstar. Your old life is no more. You have now received the nine lives of a leader, and StarClan grants you the guardianship of LightningClan_._ Defend it well; care for young and old; honor your ancestors and the traditions of the Ways of the Clan; live each life with pride and dignity."

The nine cats chanted his new name and Lightningstar made it clear to Nightstar that no one was to know of what went on in the meeting. As the others left, Lightningstar stayed and looked to Nightstar with sad eyes. "I wanted to apologize for what I did in my past life." he said. "I was foolish. I'm happy for you and Willowfrost and your kits. A-And I feel conflicted about saying this but . . ." Lightningstar sighed and looked up to Nightstar. "Frostpool needs to be exiled from the camp. After I was shared information from Sparrowpelt, I realized she is a threat to your, your mate, and your kits lives."

Nightstar nodded, understanding and Lightningstar gave him a small smile. "You'll make a good leader Nightstar."

Nightstar woke in he den and stood, shaking his pelt out. He looked outside of the den and stepped out onto the leaders ledge. Brightface sat outside and watched as Tawnykit played with a ball of moss. Stripefur and Harespring where bringing in prey from a hunting patrol, and Longfur was talking to Feverhead. Nightstar yowled out and called for a clan meeting. All the cats gathered below the ledge and Nightstar looked them over.

"I've visited StarClan and have received my nine lives. I am now Nightstar, the leader of LightningClan." he announced. Yowled of his new name echoed through the camp. Nightstar flicked his tail, silencing the cats. "Because of this, I now need a deputy." his orange eyes traveled over the cats. "I say these words before StarClan. The new deputy of LightningClan will be Longfur."

Longfur blinked and stepped foreword and nodded to the leader. "I'll serve as best as I can."

Nightstar thanked him and ran his eyes over the crowd, landing on a white she-cat. "Frostpool, step forward." he said lowly. Everyone stepped aside as the she-cat stepped up, her blue eyes wide.

"I, Nightstar, leader of LightninClan, hear by exile you from LightningClan. You have until sundown to leave out territory. If we find you on it again, we will not hesitate to attack. Understood?" he glared at her and she whimpered, but nodded. She turned, walking out of the camp when Darkflower cried out.

"No, you cant do this Nightstar!" Darkflower cried, turning to the tom. "You fox-heart! She loved you, why cant you ju-"

"Silence Darkflower." Nightstar said, cutting her off. "If you wish, you may follow her."

Darkflower looked between her daughter and Nightstar before falling back. Frostpool looked to her mother with hurt eyes before turning, and stalking out of camp. Nightstar nodded and looked back to the clan.

"Meeting dismissed."

* * *

_**LightningClan**_

**Leader:** Nightstar- built, handsome black tom with orange eyes and a torn ear (Mate: Willowfrost) (Kits: Jaykit, Lilykit, Rainkit, and Flowerkit)

**Deputy:** Longfur- long-haired brown tabby tom with amber eyes (Mate: Brightface) (Kits: Applekit and Tawnykit)

**Medicine Cats:** Wormfur- sandy colored tom with patches of fur and blue eyes

**Warriors:**

Ringtail- gray tom with tabby tail and green eyes (Mate: Grassshine) (Kits: Harespring and Stripefur)

Feverhead- brown tom with a going on fever and blue eyes (Kits: Nightfall and Petalspots)

Darkflower- gray-and-white she-cat with blue eyes (Kits: Frostpool and Willowfrost)

Grassshine- light brown she-cat with blue eyes (Mate: Ringtail) (Kits: Harespring and Stripefur)

Harespring- light brown tom with green eyes

Stripefur- gray tabby tom with blue eyes

Petalspots- brown she-cat with pale gray patches and blue eyes

**Apprentices:**

None

**Queens:**

Brightface- orange-and-white she-cat with blue eyes (Mate: Longfur) (Kits: Applekit and Tawnykit)

Willowfrost- dark gray tabby she-cat with orange eyes (Mate: Nightstar) (Kits: Jaykit, Lilykit, Rainkit, and Flowerkit)

**Kits:**

Applekit- dark ginger she-cat with badly scarred blue eyes

Tawnykit- large dark brown and white tabby tom with amber eyes

Jaykit- dark gray tom with black tabby stripe and a white chest

Lilykit- long-furred light gray she-cat with black stripe and white muzzle and tail tip

Rainkit- dark gray, almost black, tom with a lighter patch on his chest

Flowerkit- pale gray she-cat with white, black rimmed spots and black tail tip

**Elders:**

Badfang- black tom with green eyes and long teeth

Losteye- white she-cat with green eyes and blind in one

_**RunningClan**_

**Leader:** Runstar- slim light brown tabby tom with amber eyes (Mate: Sandleg) (Kits: Windstripe and Spiderfur)

**Deputy:** Longwind- sleek white-and-gray tom with blue eyes (Apprentice: Mousepaw)

**Medicine Cat:** Healheart- slim cream-and-brown tom with amber eyes (Apprentice: Lightear)

**Warriors:**

Forestfoot- slim white tom with large brown paws and green eyes (Apprentice: Grasspaw) (Mate: Softpelt) (Kits: Lightear, Heartpatch, Duskkit, Moonkit, and Dirtkit)

Sandleg- small pale ginger she-cat with dark ginger legs and blue eyes (Mate: Runstar) (kits: Windstripe and Spiderfur)

Fernheart- cream-and-gray she-cat with green eyes (Mate: Braveclaw) (Kits: Grasspaw and Mousepaw)

Rockfang- dark gray-and-black tom with icy blue eyes

Braveclaw- black tom with white chest and amber eyes (Mate: Fernheart) (Kits: Grasspaw and Mousepaw)

Heartpatch- pretty slim brown she-cat with a heart shapped patch on her chest and heather colored eyes

Windstripe- light gray-and-brown tabby she-cat with blue eyes

Spiderfur- dark brown tom with black underbelly and chest with amber eyes

**Apprentices:**

Lightear- tan tom with brown patches and blue eyes

Grasspaw- black tom with white patches and green eyes

Mousepaw- gray-and-white she-cat with amber eyes

**Queens:**

Softpelt- soft light brown she-cat with heather colored eyes (Mate: Forestfoot) (Kits: Lightear, Heartpatch, Duskkit, Moonkit, and Dirtkit)

**Kits:**

Duskkit- pale ginger tom with blue eyes

Moonkit- white she-cat with green eyes

Dirtkit- brown tom with darker speckling and pale green eyes

**Elders:**

Deaf-ear- black-and-white tom with pale green eyes who went deaf (Old Mate: Kindears) (Kits: Braveclaw and Runstar)

Kindears- retired queen with brown pelt and amber eyes (Old Mate: Deaf-ear) (Kits: Braveclaw and Runstar)

Runningcloud- soft pelted small gray-and-white she-cat with light blue eyes

_**CreekClan**_

**Leader:** Creekstar- silver tabby tom with blue eyes

**Deputy:** Fishfur- silver she-cat with amber eyes (Mate: Reedtail) (Kits: Millowpaw, Hollowpaw, and Dashpaw)

**Medicine Cat:** Leapfish- black tom with blue eyes (Apprentice: Hollowfeather)

**Warrior:**

Waterpelt- blue-gray tabby tom with light blue eyes (Apprentice: Mosspaw)

Reedtail- black tom with a gray-brown tail and green eyes (Mate: Fishfur) (Kits: Millowpaw, Hollowpaw, and Dashpaw)

Grasswhisker- light brown she-cat with green eyes (Old Mate: George) (Kits: Gingerkit and Mosskit)

Runlake- dark brown tabby tom with orange eyes (Apprentice: Gingerpaw) (Mate: Troutheart) (Kits: Weedpaw, Flowerpaw Cloudkit, Riverkit, Sunkit, and Mothkit)

Lakeleg- silver she-cat with dark gray legs and blue eyes (Mate: Shorefur) (Apprentice: Flowerpaw)

Minnowpool- pretty silver tabby she-cat with amber eyes (Apprentice: Weedpaw)

Dashspots- light brown mottled tom with blue eyes

**Apprentice:**

Hollowfeather- black she-cat with blue eyes

Weedpaw- dark brown tom with orange eyes

Flowerpaw- light gray tabby she-cat with blue eyes

Gingerpaw- light ginger tom with green eyes

Mosspaw- light brown-white-and gray she-cat with blue eyes

**Queens:**

Troutheart- light gray she-cat with white mark on chest with blue eyes (Mate: Runlake) (Kits: Weedpaw, Flowerpaw, Cloudkit, Riverkit, Sunkit, and Mothkit)

Shorefur- light, sandy colored she-cat with blue eyes (Mate: Lakeleg)

**Kits:**

Cloudkit- light gray tom with white paws and blue eyes

Riverkit- gray tom with blue eyes

Sunkit- light brown she-cat with green eyes

Mothkit- dark brown-and-gray tabby tom with amber eyes

**Elders:**

One-ear- dark brown tom with one ear and orange eyes (Old Mate: Tinyfish) (Kits: Reedtail and Shorefur)

Tinyfish- sandy light brown tabby she-cat with blue eyes (Old Mate: One-ear) (Kits: Reedtail and Shorefur)

Fluffypelt- light gray-and-black tom with green eyes (Kit: Fishfur)

_**Cats Outside Of Clans**_

Frostpool- pretty white she-cat with blue eyes (Former LightningClan)


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary:** Willowkit and her sister Frostkit are born in calming times to one of the three Clan, LightningClan. But Willowkit doesn't feel all at home with her family, her parents seeming to sun her for her lack of skill. Yet, a prophecy is born to the medicine cat of the clan, and he cant but help to see that it has to do with the family. Will the clan be saved in time, or will their own foolish mistakes make the three clan become just two?

* * *

**Alive: Book 1**

_**By.** Hidding-In-Shadows_

Chapter 10

* * *

Nightstar lay on top of the leaders ledge, his eyes running over the clan. Tawnypaw and hit mentor, Harepsring, were just returning from a hunting patrol with Ringtail and Longfur. They walked to the fresh kill pile, dropping the prey off as Longfur turned to the leader and nodded to him, walking over. Nightstar stood and leaped down the ledge, meeting up with his deputy.

"Is something the matter?" he asked.

"While along RunningClan border, we got the scent of her." Longfur said lowly. Nightstar narrowed his eyes and nodded. "It was faint, but still there."

"Thank you, anything else?"

Longfur nodded. "We also found a rabbit on our territory that was half eaten, RunningClan scent on it." Nightstar nodded and dismissed his deputy. Nightstar looked over the camp once more and felt warmth in his chest when he saw two of his kits run out of the den, laughing. He walked over to them, purring with amsement. Rainkit looked up to his father.

"Nightstar!" he giggled, swatting the tom's nose with his paw. "More like a CreekClan warrior coming to attack. LightningClan, attack!" the dark gray tom jumped onto his fathers back, kicking his way up as Jaykit headbutted the leaders leg. Nightstar chuckled and turned, grabbing Rainkit's scruff and setting him down.

"I juat came to talk with Willowfrost. We'll play another time." Nightstar licked their heads and then walked past the kits and into the nursery. The scent of stale milk filled the air was he walked in. Willowfrost looked up to the tom and purred happily, nudging him with her cheek. Their daughters laid at Willowfrost's paws, both of their pelts groomed nicely.

"Good afternoon. What do you need?" she asked, looking up to him. Nightstar's eyes flicked to the she-kits and Willowfrost looked down to them. "Why don't you two go play with Rainkit and Jaykit. Maybe Tawnypaw will join you." Lilykit and Flowerkit nodded and stood, running out of the den. Willowfrost smiled as she watched them and then looked to Nightstar, sitting up and turning serious.

"It's Frostpool isn't it." she murmured, her eyes narrowing lightly. Nightstar nodded and Willowfrost hissed. "When will she learn . . . Frostpool was never this foolish. She must be planning something."

"There was also prey of RunningClan scent on our territory." he murmured, his eyes narrowed as he thought. "The Meeting is tonight, so I will talk to them." Willowfrost nodded, agreeing with what her mate said. Nightstar then stood and licked her forehead before walking out of the den. He looked around camp and called over Stripefur, Feverhead, and Petalspots, going on a border patrol to CreekClan.

-x-

Nightstar sat at the camp entrance, waiting for the rest of the cats who were going to the Meeting. Longfur sat by his side with Brightface, Harespring, and Tawnypaw. Petalspots, Feverhead, and Wormfur with Applepaw walked over, Wormfur leading the she-cat with his tail on her shoulders. Tawnypaw walked to his sister, Wormfur letting her got and Tawnypaw pushing his side to hers. Nightstar looked at the two with sadness, Tawnypaw's face filled with sorrow, still blaming himself for his sisters condition.

"Are we ready?" Nightstar asked, standing. Everyone nodded and the patrol made their way to the Meeting place. They walked through the forst, crickets chirping and a few owls howling here and there. Longfur stayed by Nightstar's side, the two friends chatting lowly to themselves about how there were to handle the situation with RunningClan. Brightface and Petalspots were talking up a storm about how old Tawnypaw and Applepaw had gotten the past few moons, and Womfur was slugging behind with Harespring, both of the toms looking tired and not wanting to be there.

They arrived soon and walked into the Meeting place, CreekClan already there. Tawnypaw left his sister, trotting off to talk to a few of the other warriors apprentices from CreekClan and Wormfur wrapped his tail onto the ginger she-cat's shoulder, leading her to where the medicine cats were. This was her first Meeting, the she-cat putting down the others, scared that she'd just slow down the patrol and make them late.

The warriors fanned out, talking to the other Clan as Nightstar walked to the center and jumped onto the stump, nodding to Creekstar. Longfur sat in the roots next to Fishfur, the two deputies striking a conversation up about how leaf-bare was beginning to end and prey was running more. All the cats heard a large nose of bushes being moved and looked to see RunningClan walking in. Runstar walked over with Longwind, the toms nodding to the leaders and deputies, joining them. As the Clan mingled for a little longer, the leaders and deputies talked among themselves before CreekStar finally letting out a yowl to get their attentions. The gray tom stepped forward.

"The streams in our territory are beginning to thaw out." he looked to Nightstar, nodding to him. "Thank you for letting us have the river, you can take control over it once new leaf comes. It helped us a lot." Nightstar nodded to the tom, telling him it was no problem. "Other then that, the prey is running well. We have a new queen, Grasswhisker. The clan is thriving as always." he stepped back and Nightstar stepped forward.

"We welcome two new apprentices, Tawnypaw and Applepaw into our clan. Tawnypaw is learning the ways of a warrior while his sister a medicine cat." he then looked to Runstar. "While on our patrol this morning, we discovered the scent of RunningClan on a half eaten rabbit on out territory."

"Are us accusing us of stealing prey Nightstar?" Longwind asked below him, his pelt raising.

"Oh course not Longwind. We just want to make it clear that if something comes along like this again, we will not hesitate to make action. Runstar?" Nightstar stepped back as the last leader stepped forward.

"The prey was caught by one of our apprentices and eaten Nightstar, I will admit that. But we were not on you're territory at the time. I was on that patrol. Someone must have moved it." Nightstar nodded to the leader and Runstar turned back to the cats. "In other words, our clan is running well. We also welcome a new warrior in our ranks, someone you all might know. We have accepted her into our Clan and hope that you respect us. Frostpool is now a warrior of RunningClan."

Yowls of outrage echoed through the camp from LightningClan. After the white she-cat was exiled, Nightstar told the Clan why he had done so, explaining the story of how she had repeatedly attack her sister. The warriors understood and accepted the fact, even Darkflower caught off guard by this statement. Nightstar silenced his clan with a flick of his tail, looking them over.

"We will not challange Runstar's choice. Frostpool is now part of RunningClan and we will not take any action." the clan growled lowly and Nightstar nodded to Runstar.

"Prey has been running well. I hope new leaf arrives soon. We have a new queen, Heartpatch. That is all." the tom then jumped off of the stump, ending the Meeting.

* * *

_**LightningClan**_

**Leader:** Nightstar- built, handsome black tom with orange eyes and a torn ear (Mate: Willowfrost) (Kits: Jaykit, Lilykit, Rainkit, and Flowerkit)

**Deputy:** Longfur- long-haired brown tabby tom with amber eyes (Mate: Brightface) (Kits: Applepaw and Tawnypaw)

**Medicine Cats:** Wormfur- sandy colored tom with patches of fur and blue eyes (Apprentice: Applepaw)

**Warriors:**

Ringtail- gray tom with tabby tail and green eyes (Mate: Grassshine) (Kits: Harespring and Stripefur)

Feverhead- brown tom with a going on fever and blue eyes (Kits: Nightfall and Petalspots)

Darkflower- gray-and-white she-cat with blue eyes (Kits: Frostpool and Willowfrost)

Grassshine- light brown she-cat with blue eyes (Mate: Ringtail) (Kits: Harespring and Stripefur)

Brightface- orange-and-white she-cat with blue eyes (Mate: Longfur) (Kits: Applepaw and Tawnypaw)

Harespring- light brown tom with green eyes (Apprentice: Tawnypaw)

Stripefur- gray tabby tom with blue eyes

Petalspots- brown she-cat with pale gray patches and blue eyes

**Apprentices:**

Applepaw- small ginger she-cat with blind, scarred blue eyes

Tawnypaw- large dark brown and white tabby tom with amber eyes

**Queens:**

Willowfrost- dark gray tabby she-cat with orange eyes (Mate: Nightstar) (Kits: Jaykit, Lilykit, Rainkit, and Flowerkit)

**Kits:**

Jaykit- dark gray tom with black tabby stripe and a white chest

Lilykit- long-furred light gray she-cat with black stripe and white muzzle and tail tip

Rainkit- dark gray, almost black, tom with a lighter patch on his chest

Flowerkit- pale gray she-cat with white, black rimmed spots and black tail tip

**Elders:**

Badfang- black tom with green eyes and long teeth

Losteye- white she-cat with green eyes and blind in one

-x-x-

_**RunningClan**_

**Leader:** Runstar- slim light brown tabby tom with amber eyes (Mate: Sandleg) (Kits: Windstripe and Spiderfur)

**Deputy:** Longwind- sleek white-and-gray tom with blue eyes (Apprentice: Mousepaw)

**Medicine Cat:** Healheart- slim cream-and-brown tom with amber eyes (Apprentice: Lightear)

**Warriors:**

Forestfoot- slim white tom with large brown paws and green eyes (Apprentice: Grasspaw) (Mate: Softpelt) (Kits: Lightear, Heartpatch, Duskkit, Moonkit, and Dirtkit)

Sandleg- small pale ginger she-cat with dark ginger legs and blue eyes (Mate: Runstar) (kits: Windstripe and Spiderfur)

Fernheart- cream-and-gray she-cat with green eyes (Mate: Braveclaw) (Kits: Grasspaw and Mousepaw)

Rockfang- dark gray-and-black tom with icy blue eyes (Mate: Heartpatch)

Braveclaw- black tom with white chest and amber eyes (Mate: Fernheart) (Kits: Grasspaw and Mousepaw)

Windstripe- light gray-and-brown tabby she-cat with blue eyes

Spiderfur- dark brown tom with black underbelly and chest with amber eyes

Frostpool- pretty white she-cat with a torn ear and blue eyes

**Apprentices:**

Lightear- tan tom with brown patches and blue eyes

Grasspaw- black tom with white patches and green eyes

Mousepaw- gray-and-white she-cat with amber eyes

**Queens:**

Softpelt- soft light brown she-cat with heather colored eyes (Mate: Forestfoot) (Kits: Lightear, Heartpatch, Duskkit, Moonkit, and Dirtkit)

Heartpatch- pretty slim brown she-cat with a heart shaped patching on her chest and heather colored eyes (Mate: Rockfang)

**Kits:**

Duskkit- pale ginger tom with blue eyes

Moonkit- white she-cat with green eyes

Dirtkit- brown tom with darker speckling and pale green eyes

**Elders:**

Deaf-ear- black-and-white tom with pale green eyes who went deaf (Old Mate: Kindears) (Kits: Braveclaw and Runstar)

Kindears- retired queen with brown pelt and amber eyes (Old Mate: Deaf-ear) (Kits: Braveclaw and Runstar)

Runningcloud- soft pelted small gray-and-white she-cat with light blue eyes

-x-x-

_**CreekClan**_

**Leader:** Creekstar- silver tabby tom with blue eyes

**Deputy:** Fishfur- silver she-cat with amber eyes (Mate: Reedtail) (Kits: Millowpaw, Hollowpaw, and Dashpaw)

**Medicine Cat:** Leapfish- black tom with blue eyes (Apprentice: Hollowfeather)

**Warrior:**

Waterpelt- blue-gray tabby tom with light blue eyes (Apprentice: Mosspaw)

Reedtail- black tom with a gray-brown tail and green eyes (Mate: Fishfur) (Kits: Millowpaw, Hollowpaw, and Dashpaw)

Grasswhisker- light brown she-cat with green eyes (Old Mate: George) (Kits: Gingerkit and Mosskit)

Runlake- dark brown tabby tom with orange eyes (Apprentice: Gingerpaw) (Mate: Troutheart) (Kits: Weedpaw, Flowerpaw Cloudkit, Riverkit, Sunkit, and Mothkit)

Lakeleg- silver she-cat with dark gray legs and blue eyes (Mate: Shorefur) (Apprentice: Flowerpaw)

Minnowpool- pretty silver tabby she-cat with amber eyes (Apprentice: Weedpaw)

Dashspots- light brown mottled tom with blue eyes

**Apprentice:**

Hollowfeather- black she-cat with blue eyes

Weedpaw- dark brown tom with orange eyes

Flowerpaw- light gray tabby she-cat with blue eyes

Gingerpaw- light ginger tom with green eyes

Mosspaw- light brown-white-and gray she-cat with blue eyes

**Queens:**

Troutheart- light gray she-cat with white mark on chest with blue eyes (Mate: Runlake) (Kits: Weedpaw, Flowerpaw, Cloudkit, Riverkit, Sunkit, and Mothkit)

Shorefur- light, sandy colored she-cat with blue eyes (Mate: Lakeleg)

**Kits:**

Cloudkit- light gray tom with white paws and blue eyes

Riverkit- gray tom with blue eyes

Sunkit- light brown she-cat with green eyes

Mothkit- dark brown-and-gray tabby tom with amber eyes

**Elders:**

One-ear- dark brown tom with one ear and orange eyes (Old Mate: Tinyfish) (Kits: Reedtail and Shorefur)

Tinyfish- sandy light brown tabby she-cat with blue eyes (Old Mate: One-ear) (Kits: Reedtail and Shorefur)

Fluffypelt- light gray-and-black tom with green eyes (Kit: Fishfur)


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary:** Willowkit and her sister Frostkit are born in calming times to one of the three Clan, LightningClan. But Willowkit doesn't feel all at home with her family, her parents seeming to sun her for her lack of skill. Yet, a prophecy is born to the medicine cat of the clan, and he cant but help to see that it has to do with the family. Will the clan be saved in time, or will their own foolish mistakes make the three clan become just two?

* * *

**Alive: Book 1**

_**By.** Hidding-In-Shadows_

Chapter 12

* * *

Nightstar stormed into the camp, simply telling Longfur to create a hunting patrol for the morning before jumping up to his den. He paced in the den, his claws scrapping along the stone floor. Tomorrow he'd have to take a patrol to Runstar and tell him the truth about Frostpool. She was dangerous, trying to kill Willowfrost on multiple occasions. But Runstar _did_ ask for them not to challenge his choice. Nightstar huffed as he lay in his nest, his eyes narrowed. What was he going to do? Nightstar closed his eyes with a sigh and flicked his ears as he heard paw steps outside the lip of his den. The scent of Willowfrost wafted over him and he flicked his tail, telling her to come in. Willowfrost's soft paw steps echoed in the den as she walked over to him and leaned down, licking his ear.

"Longfur told me something happened at the Meeting. Care to share?" she asked, laying next to him. Nightstar turned on his side, opening his orange eyes and blinked at his mate.

"It's Frostpool. Runstar accepted her into RunningClan." he groaned. "I don't know what to do. I want to go there and tell him the threat she is to the Clans but he asked us not to challenge him."

"Then follow his word." Willowfrost said softly, nuzzling her mate. "If Runstar wants to deal with her, then let him. Frostpool is in _his_ paws now, not ours. So stop worrying. Okay?"

Nightstar looked at her, his eyes examining her pretty face, the only blemish a scar across her nose from when she was attack in the battle. He nodded and licked her cheek. The she-cat smiled with a purr and stood, stretching. As she started out of his den, Nightstar whimpered.

"You can stay in her for one night, right?" he asked, looking to his mate with begging eyes. "The kit's will be fine."

Willowfrost looked at the tom, his orange eyes big and begging. She rolled her eyes with a sigh and walked over, laying next to him. "Sometimes you act just like them." Nightstar purred and licked her cheek. "Now I know where they get it from." she laughed, closing her eyes. Nightstar draped his paw over she-cat's neck and laid his tail over hers, the two mates falling asleep easily with their love next to them.

-x-x-x-

Willowfrost woke the next morning to find Nightstar's nest next to her empty. She felt the warmth of it, knowing that he must have left not too long ago. Willowfrost stretched, sitting up and looking out of the den. Nightstar was in the camp, talking to Longfur about something. Longfur then flicked his tail, Grassshine, Harespring, Tawnypaw, Feverhead, and Petalspots stepping forward. Nightstar then walked to the nursery and nuzzled his kits before looking up to the leaders den and giving his mate one last loving look. He then turned to Longfur, nodding to the tom and the patrol ran out of the camp.

She wondered why Nightstar would take so many cats out on a hunting patrol this morning. Then something kicked in and he eyes widened. "No." she whispered, running out of the den and jumping down, running to the camp entrance. "No!" she yelled, about to run out when Darkflower and Stripefur ran in front of her, blocking her from walking out. "They're going to RunningClan! No, this can't happen!" Willowfrost yowled, trying to get past them.

"The decision has been made Willowfrost." Stripefur said gruffly. "Nightstar is going to talk to Runstar, and if the tom doesn't cooperate, then we'll take action."

"No! He's risking the Clans health. It's not even new leaf yet." She hissed to the tabby.

"Nightstar knows what he is doing Willowfrost." Darkflower said calmly, giving her daughter a sad look. "Just go stay with your kits. They cant have two of their parents out fighting." she gave her daughter a pleading look and Willowfrost sighed, stepping back. The tabby she-cat turned around and walked back to the center of camp. She looked up at the two with fire in her eyes and then ran at them. The two cat's looked frightened as Willowfrost's claws slid out and then she leaped through the air, soaring over them and landed behind the two guard, sprinting out of camp.

As she ran to RunningClan boarder, she heard Darkflower, Stripefur, and Brightface chasing after her. Willowfrost jumped through bushes and swerved around trees, her paws pounding on the ground almost as fast as her heart was in her chest. She busted through the trees at RunningClan border and panted as she saw Nightstar and Runstar talking, Frostpool looking at the black leader with sad eyes.

Time seemed to slow down as Nightstar's look grew angry and then Runstar leaped at the leader of LightingClan, yowling to order his patrol to battle. Willowfrost ran into the battle and jumped on Runstar, pulling the tom off her leader and mate. Runstar growled out, whipping his head around and glaring at the she-cat. He jerked around, trying to get her off, but her claws dug deeper into his back, giving her a firm grip. She bit down on the back of his neck, growling.

"Call the battle off!" she hissed in his ear.

"You mangy LightningClan cats started it." he growled, giving one last buck and sending her flying off. Willowfrost tumbled away, landing hard on her side and getting the breath knocked out of her. She looked up with wide away as Nightstar bucked, sending a RunningClan warrior off of him. The leader turned, growling at the warrior when Runstar appeared next to him suddenly and slashed his neck open. Nightstar's eyes went wide and the tom feel backwards, gasping out as blood stained the grass below him. Runstar looked down at the dying tom, satisfied. Willowfrost struggled to stand up and was about to run at the tom when Longfur jumped up from the crowd and landed on his back, his claws digging into the brown tabby's shoulders and gripped his neck, biting down hard with his long fangs until there was a sharp _crack _that came from it, the tom falling limp and his eyes lifeless.

Everyone stopped battling, looking down to the two dead leaders. Longwind stepped forward with wide eyes, looking down at his leader with sadness. He leaned down and touched his nose to the toms shoulder and then looked to Nightstar, the black tom beginning to get up, recovering from it with a new life. Nightstar looked to Longwind and the white-and-gray tom then sighed, looking down and then glanced to Willowfrost.

"You're mate was right, there was no need for battle. Now we've lost our leader." Longwind stood and flicked his tail, two warriors from RunningClan stepping forward and picking their fallen leader up. "Met me here tomorrow at sunhigh with your deputy. We shall make a truce." The new leader then turned away and walked back onto his territory with blood stained paws. Longfur gave Nightstar a shoulder to lean on. Nightstar flicked his tail, telling the warriors to go back and then looked over his shoulder to Willowfrost, anger and fright in his eyes.

"Willowfrost, met me in my den once you're wounds are healed." he growled lightly, walking past her with Longfur. "We need to speak."

Willowfrost glared to him, anger still flaring in her blood but also heart break. She just watched the tom she loved die right in front of her eyes. And she hadn't done anything about it. Willowfrost's claws dug into the soft soil of the ground as she looked back at the blood soiled ground. With a final sigh, she turned around and walked back to camp.

-x-x-x-

Willowfrost walked into Nightstar's den, some cotton webs on her pelt. Longfur was sitting with the tom, both of them talking in slightly hushed voices. They stopped and looked up to her and Longfur stood, nodding to his leader and then Willowfrost and walked out of the den, jumping down to the camp and calling over Wormfur to see how the injured were doing. Willowfrost walked forward and sat in front of the black tom, her tail curling neatly around her paws.

"I should punish Darkflower and Stripefur for not listening to my instructions, but once they told me what you did . . ." Nightstar's orange burned into Willowfrosts. After he lost a life, it seemed like a whole new Nightstar came back. "I would have thought you would stayed in camp for the sake of our kits. When we both came back with blood on our pelts, they looked as scared as a cat who watched someone make the final blow on them in battle."

"And I thought you would have listened to me when I said the battle wasn't worth it." Willowfrost said with equal malice in her voice. "Because of that worthless battle, Runstar died. And you lost a life."

"I am the leader Willowfrost." Nightstar snarled. "What I say goes."

Willowfrost growled and her eyes narrowed. "StarClan, you sound _just_ like him." she stood and turned to walk out when Nightstar jumped in front of her, his eyes softened slightly.

"I was worried." he said less harshly, his eyes looking over her face. "I was worried that I was going to loss you in battle."

Willowfrost didn't lessen her strong gaze on him. "I _watched_ you loss a life Nightstar. And I get to watch it happen eight more times." she pushed past him and then looked over her shoulder. "I need sometime to recover." she then jumped down the ledge and walked over to the nursery, her tail disappearing in the den.

Nightstar sighed, looking down at his paws. He then looked up and his eye caught the willow in camp. He looked at it, his eyes narrowed with confusion. Leaves began to fall from it, the branches almost bare. Leaf bare was close to being over, the trees in the forest already sprouting new leaves, fresh and green, but the willow had yet to show a new one. Nightstar stood, his shoulders aching from the battle and turned, walking into his den, letting sleep fall over the weakened clan.

-x-x-x-

At morning, Nightstar was already up and out of the camp. He sat, looking at the Meeting area, his tail flicking behind him. His orange eyes looked over the area, only sitting in the two suns ago talking with the clans peacefully. Now LightningClan and RunningClan had a growing tension between them. Not only that, but CreekClan and LightningClan were just getting over their disagreements. Nightstar narrowed his eyes, thinking. If RunningClan and CreekClan joined forces to battle LightningClan, would they even stand a chance?

"You're thinking too hard again aren't you?" a soft voice came from behind him and Nightstar looked to see his sister, Petalspots walking over. She sat next to him, her tail curling over her paws neatly. "Whenever you think too hard, you're tail always does that weird flicking thing." she said, flciking her tail rapidly to show him what she meant. "So, whats on your mind?"

"The battle . . . Runstar died and a lot of our warriors were injured. Tension between RunningClan and us grow even more now. And we still haven't fulling gotten over the rift with CreekClan. What will we do if they team up and try to go against us?" The leader said, more to himself then to his sister.

"You shouldn't worry about that. At the last Meeting I was walking to a warrior in CreekClan, Minnowpool. She said that RunningClan trespassed on their territory, so RunningClan and CreekClan aren't all friendly either. Besides, we're just about to get out of leaf bare, there's still some tension on the clans until all the prey comes back and we all have full bellies."

Nightstar knew she was saying whatever she could to make him feel better and she then sighed in defeat as his tail went back to flicking rapidly. "Hey, why don't we go hunting like old times?" she stood, her tail flicking with excitement. "The one with the lest amount of prey is a piece of mouse dung!" she laughed, running off into the forest. Nightstar smiled and stood, shaking his pelt out and chased the brown-and-gray she-cat.

"I'm going to catch more then you!" she sang over her shoulder as she jumped up in the air, her paws catching a bird that was taking flight. Nightstar cursed under his breath and his nose twitched as he caught the scent of a vole. Running past his sister who killed the bird easily, her followed the scent and came out to a small clearing in their territory, the vole sitting wide open. Without a second thought, the leader pounced and caught the vole, snapping it's neck easily. His ears twitch as he head his sister running to catch up with him.

"Nice catch Nightstar." she purred, dropping her bird. "Although, it's not quite as good as mine." Nightstar laughed and cuffed his sister over the ear.

Both of their ears went up right as a sudden yowl echoed through the forest. The two looked at each other before turning and running right to the RunningClan border from where it came. They stopped right in their tracked when they saw what lay before them.

Runstar's eyes were open and still hanging onto life. The two cats looked at each other before Nightstar stepped forward. "Runstar . . . I th-" he stopped as he saw the rough, jagged cut that ran over his throat, blood pulsing out.

"This is the last . . ." the tom breathed, more blood coming out with each word. "You were . . . right. Sh-She's not trusted. W-Warn L-Longstar. He do . . . doesn't . . . doesn't have-" Runstar gasped out with one last breath before his eyes went dull.

"Runstar? Runstar, can you hear me?" Nightstar asked, his tail flicking nervously behind him. Nightstar looked over to Petalspots who looked at the dead tom with scared eyes. "Go to camp, tell Longfur to come right away with Wormfur." the she-cat nodded and turned, running away. Nightstar looked back to the dead tom, his orange eyes searching his face and then his body for clues of who the killed was.

Something white caught his eye and he looked at the claws of the leader. Nightstar's breath hitched with fright as he looked at the fur caught in the old leaders claws.

Pure white.

* * *

_**LightningClan**_

**Leader:** Nightstar- built, handsome black tom with orange eyes and a torn ear (Mate: Willowfrost) (Kits: Jaykit, Lilykit, Rainkit, and Flowerkit)

**Deputy:** Longfur- long-haired brown tabby tom with amber eyes (Mate: Brightface) (Kits: Applepaw and Tawnypaw)

**Medicine Cats:** Wormfur- sandy colored tom with patches of fur and blue eyes (Apprentice: Applepaw)

**Warriors:**

Ringtail- gray tom with tabby tail and green eyes (Mate: Grassshine) (Kits: Harespring and Stripefur)

Feverhead- brown tom with a going on fever and blue eyes (Kits: Nightstar and Petalspots)

Darkflower- gray-and-white she-cat with blue eyes (Kits: Frostpool and Willowfrost)

Grassshine- light brown she-cat with blue eyes (Mate: Ringtail) (Kits: Harespring and Stripefur)

Brightface- orange-and-white she-cat with blue eyes (Mate: Longfur) (Kits: Applepaw and Tawnypaw)

Harespring- light brown tom with green eyes (Apprentice: Tawnypaw)

Stripefur- gray tabby tom with blue eyes

Petalspots- brown she-cat with pale gray patches and blue eyes

**Apprentices:**

Applepaw- small ginger she-cat with blind, scarred blue eyes

Tawnypaw- large dark brown and white tabby tom with amber eyes

**Queens:**

Willowfrost- dark gray tabby she-cat with orange eyes (Mate: Nightstar) (Kits: Jaykit, Lilykit, Rainkit, and Flowerkit)

**Kits:**

Jaykit- dark gray tom with black tabby stripe and a white chest

Lilykit- long-furred light gray she-cat with black stripe and white muzzle and tail tip

Rainkit- dark gray, almost black, tom with a lighter patch on his chest

Flowerkit- pale gray she-cat with white, black rimmed spots and black tail tip

**Elders:**

Badfang- black tom with green eyes and long teeth

Losteye- white she-cat with green eyes and blind in one

-x-x-

_**RunningClan**_

**Leader:** Longstar- sleek white-and-gray tom with blue eyes (Mate: Windstripe)

**Deputy:** Undecided

**Medicine Cat:** Healheart- slim cream-and-brown tom with amber eyes (Apprentice: Lightear)

**Warriors:**

Forestfoot- slim white tom with large brown paws and green eyes (Mate: Softpelt) (Kits: Lightear, Heartpatch, Duskpaw, Moonpaw, and Dirtpaw)

Fernheart- cream-and-gray she-cat with green eyes (Mate: Braveclaw) (Kits: Grasspatch and Mousetail)

Rockfang- dark gray-and-black tom with icy blue eyes (Apprentice: Dirtpaw) (Mate: Heartpatch)

Softpelt- soft light brown she-cat with heather colored eyes (Mate: Forestfoot) (Kits: Lightear, Heartpatch, Duskpaw, Moonpaw, and Dirtpaw)

Braveclaw- black tom with white chest and amber eyes (Mate: Fernheart) (Kits: Grasspatch and Mousetail)

Spiderfur- dark brown tom with black underbelly and chest with amber eyes (Apprentice: Moonpaw)

Frostpool- pretty white she-cat with a torn ear and blue eyes (Apprentice: Duskpaw)

Grasspatch- black tom with white patched and green eyes

Mousetail- gray-and-white she-cat with amber eyes

**Apprentices:**

Lightear- tan tom with brown patches and blue eyes

Duskpaw- pale ginger tom with blue eyes

Moonpaw- white she-cat with green eyes

Dirtpaw- brown tom with darker speckling and pale green eyes

**Queens:**

Heartpatch- pretty slim brown she-cat with a heart shaped patching on her chest and heather colored eyes (Mate: Rockfang)

Windstripe- light gray-and-brown tabby she-cat with blue eyes (Mate: Longstar)

**Kits:**

None

**Elders:**

Sandleg- small pale ginger she-cat with dark ginger legs and blue eyes (Kits: Windstripe and Spiderfur)

Deaf-ear- black-and-white tom with pale green eyes who went deaf (Old Mate: Kindears) (Kits: Braveclaw and Runstar)

Kindears- retired queen with brown pelt and amber eyes (Old Mate: Deaf-ear) (Kits: Braveclaw and Runstar)

Runningcloud- soft pelted small gray-and-white she-cat with light blue eyes

-x-x-

_**CreekClan**_

**Leader:** Creekstar- silver tabby tom with blue eyes

**Deputy:** Fishfur- silver she-cat with amber eyes (Mate: Reedtail) (Kits: Minnowpool, Hollowfeather, and Dashspots)

**Medicine Cat:** Leapfish- black tom with blue eyes (Apprentice: Hollowfeather)

**Warrior:**

Waterpelt- blue-gray tabby tom with light blue eyes (Apprentice: Mosspaw)

Reedtail- black tom with a gray-brown tail and green eyes (Mate: Fishfur) (Kits: Minnowpool, Hollowfeather, and Dashspots)

Runlake- dark brown tabby tom with orange eyes (Apprentice: Gingerpaw) (Mate: Troutheart) (Kits: Weedwhisker, Flowerstripe Cloudkit, Riverkit, Sunkit, and Mothkit)

Lakeleg- silver she-cat with dark gray legs and blue eyes (Mate: Shorefur)

Minnowpool- pretty silver tabby she-cat with amber eyes

Dashspots- light brown mottled tom with blue eyes

Weedwhisker- dark brown tom with orange eyes

Flowerstripe- light gray tabby she-cat with blue eyes

**Apprentice:**

Hollowfeather- black she-cat with blue eyes

Gingerpaw- light ginger tom with green eyes

Mosspaw- light brown-white-and gray she-cat with blue eyes

**Queens:**

Troutheart- light gray she-cat with white mark on chest with blue eyes (Mate: Runlake) (Kits: Weedpaw, Flowerpaw, Cloudkit, Riverkit, Sunkit, and Mothkit)

Shorefur- light, sandy colored she-cat with blue eyes (Mate: Lakeleg)

Grasswhisker- light brown she-cat with green eyes (Mate: Unknown) (Kits: Gingerpaw and Mosspaw)

**Kits:**

Cloudkit- light gray tom with white paws and blue eyes

Riverkit- gray tom with blue eyes

Sunkit- light brown she-cat with green eyes

Mothkit- dark brown-and-gray tabby tom with amber eyes

**Elders:**

One-ear- dark brown tom with one ear and orange eyes (Old Mate: Tinyfish) (Kits: Reedtail and Shorefur)

Tinyfish- sandy light brown tabby she-cat with blue eyes (Old Mate: One-ear) (Kits: Reedtail and Shorefur)

Fluffypelt- light gray-and-black tom with green eyes (Kit: Fishfur)


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary:** Willowkit and her sister Frostkit are born in calming times to one of the three Clan, LightningClan. But Willowkit doesn't feel all at home with her family, her parents seeming to sun her for her lack of skill. Yet, a prophecy is born to the medicine cat of the clan, and he cant but help to see that it has to do with the family. Will the clan be saved in time, or will their own foolish mistakes make the three clan become just two?

* * *

**Alive: Book 1**

_**By.** Hidding-In-Shadows_

Chapter 13

* * *

At sun high, Nightstar sat at the border with Longfur and Harespring. They sat at the area he and Petalspots had found Runstar. The leader had been buried a little ways down the border in a dirt covered area. Nightstar flicked his tail, impatient. He needed to talk to Longstar by himself. There was something wrong, something Runstar wanted Nightstar to tell the new leader. That he didn't have . . . didn't have _something_. Nightstar dug his claws into the ground and felt Longfur flick his ear with his tail. Nightstar looked up to see Longstar walking their way, a cream-and-gray she-cat beside him along with a white she-cat. It didn't take him a lot of time to realize it was Frostpool. The three arrived quickly, sitting on their side of the border.

"Longstar." Nightstar nodded to the leader. Longstar nodded back and he flicked his tail to the two she-cats.

"This is Fernheart and, as you know, Frostpool." Longstar's ears twitched. "I came to make an agreement with you. Because of your attack on us, we've lost our leader. And out warriors have been injured. We want a part of your territory so we can eat more prey and heal quicker."

"That's a piece of mouse dung if I've ever seen it." Longfur growled lightly. "We didn't start that battle, it was your beloved Runstar who attack Nightstar first."

Nightstar flicked his tail, telling the deputy to be silent. Nightstar blinked to Longstar. "My deputy is right, though hot-headed. Runstar was the one who attacked me first. But, I did taunt him. Even so, our warriors are also injured. We have already given our river to CreekClan and they won't be returning it till new leaf. Losing another part of our territory will put even more pressure on us and hurt our clan more."

"New leaf will be here in two moons, I'm sure you can spare the territory until then." Frostpool said calmly.

"You of all cats should know that we need that territory, Frostpool." Nightstar said, his eyes narrowing. "We have kits in our clan who need strength."

That statement made the she-cat flinch back, but she nodded and her blue eyes flicked to her leader before looking down at her paws. Longstar flicked his tail and stood. "By the next Meeting I want an answer Nightstar. Or else there will be no truce and more bloodshed."

-x-x-x-

Willowfrost looked outside the den as she watched her kits play. A happy purr came from her as Jaykit pinned down Lilykit, the two siblings giggling. She flicked her ear as Petalspots walked in, her belly already showing the evidence of the kits in it. Willowfrost gave her kits one last loving look as they all laughed and ran over to the elders den, waiting to hear tales of when the large group of cats traveled from the Twolegs area to make clans, and then she looked to the new queen.

"I knew he was going to make a move sooner or later." Willowfrost purred. Petalspot's licked her chest, embarrassed. While apprentices, the two would give each other judging looks, Petalspots more then Willowfrost. But after Willowfrost had Petalspots's brother's kits, and Frostpool was exiled from camp and her secrets revealed, the two had become friends.

"Yeah. To be honest, when you went into the nursery those moons ago and didn't tell anymore who the father was, I was frightened that it was Harespring." Petalspots said, looking out the den to see her mate walk in from a hunting patrol with his apprentice and Stripefur. "But then I saw the gloomy look he had and I realized they weren't his."

"Harespring and I are just friends. He may have felt something more, but I'll always have my heart set on a stubborn tom." Willowfrost purred, reassuring the she-cat.

"He always talked about you, you know." Petalspots murmured, her eyes going distant. "Whenever you walked by he'd make googly eyes, and he always would share prey with you. I was scared for a while."

"Petalspots, you're over thinking." Willowfrost said softly, laying her tail on the queen's shoulders. "Harespring loves you, I can see it in his eyes. It was a little kit crush that he had on me. You're having his kit's for StarClan sakes." Willowfrost purred the last part and Petalspots looked over. A small smile formed on her face as she agreed with the tabby she-cat. Willowfrost gave out a purr of laughter and stood, shaking the moss out of her pelt and walked out to find her kits.

-x-x-x-

At the Meeting, Nightstar sat up on the stump with narrowed orange eyes. LightningClan was the first to come and they were just waiting for the others. Soon, CreekClan joined, Creekstar nodding to the leader and sitting next to him. Both of the clans began to grow inpatient as RunningClan failed to show up. Just as Creekstar was about to start the Meeting, the scent of RunningClan filled the air and they looked over to see them walking in.

Only Longstar wasn't there.

As the RunningClan cats filed in, almost all the warriors and the new apprentices from what Nightstar could see, Longstar was no where to be seen. Spiderfur, a young warrior, walked forward to the stump and sat at the roots, his eyes narrowed and holding power. Next to him sat his apprentice, a small she-cat who looked as frightened as a mouse. CreekClan and LightningClan began to murmur to themselvs, asking where the leader was.

One pelt caught Nightstar's eye as it walked through the crowd. Longstar had brought Frostpool to the Meeting. LightingClan cat's looked her down, some grumbling and others just moving aside from her as she pushed her way through the cats with a new power. Nightstar was confused, wondering where she was going.

Then it clicked.

The white she-cat smiled to the tom as she jumped up onto the stump next to him, her tail wrapping it's way around her paws.

"Shall we begin the Meeting?"

* * *

**A/N:** Alright guys, I'm going to be starting a new series once I finish this story. It's going to be called SoulClan. If you want your cat to appear in the story, just send me a description of said cat(s). Now, there are four clans in this story: SoulClan, MoonClan, SunClan, and HeartClan.

For Reference of What The Clans Are Like:

ThunderClan + ShadowClan = SoulClan

WaterClan + WindClan = MoonClan

ShadowClan = SunClan

WaterClan + ShadowClan = HeartClan

I wrote this story a LONG time ago, so I vaguely remember the characters. I have leaders already for Soul, Heart, and Moon-but none for Sun. I have a majority of the characters for SoulClan since it is the main clan in the story, and a few for the others, but I would _really_ appreciate it if you would send in you're own characters. If you're entering a character, here is what I would like you to put.

Name: (if a leader, include warrior name incase I can't use as a leader)

Gender:

Mate: (if any)

Kits: (if any)

Apprentice: (if any)

Rank: (kit, apprentice, warrior, med. cat, leader, elder, queen)

Personality:

Preferred Clan: (if I already have too many characters for that clan, I'll move it to the one I think suits the character best)

Appearance:

Additional Info: (how a scar was gained, back story, etc.)

I'm accepting applications for ALL CLANS. Also, if you have any questions, just ask away! Thanks guys! (You can submit any number of cats, just be sure to put ALL THE CATS on that same view if they can fit. Also, if your character does have a kit, mate, or apprentice, INCLUDE THEIR INFO TOO. Thanks! 3)

* * *

_**LightningClan**_

**Leader:** Nightstar- built, handsome black tom with orange eyes and a torn ear (Mate: Willowfrost) (Kits: Jaykit, Lilykit, Rainkit, and Flowerkit)

**Deputy:** Longfur- long-haired brown tabby tom with amber eyes (Mate: Brightface) (Kits: Applepaw and Tawnypaw)

**Medicine Cats:** Wormfur- sandy colored tom with patches of fur and blue eyes (Apprentice: Applepaw)

**Warriors:**

Ringtail- gray tom with tabby tail and green eyes (Mate: Grassshine) (Kits: Harespring and Stripefur)

Feverhead- brown tom with a going on fever and blue eyes (Kits: Nightstar and Petalspots)

Darkflower- gray-and-white she-cat with blue eyes (Kits: Frostpool and Willowfrost)

Grassshine- light brown she-cat with blue eyes (Mate: Ringtail) (Kits: Harespring and Stripefur)

Brightface- orange-and-white she-cat with blue eyes (Mate: Longfur) (Kits: Applepaw and Tawnypaw)

Harespring- light brown tom with green eyes (Apprentice: Tawnypaw) (Mate: Petalspots)

Stripefur- gray tabby tom with blue eyes

Petalspots- brown she-cat with pale gray patches and blue eyes

**Apprentices:**

Applepaw- small ginger she-cat with blind, scarred blue eyes

Tawnypaw- large dark brown and white tabby tom with amber eyes

**Queens:**

Willowfrost- dark gray tabby she-cat with orange eyes (Mate: Nightstar) (Kits: Jaykit, Lilykit, Rainkit, and Flowerkit)

Petalspots- brown she-cat with pale gray patches and blue eyes (Mate: Harespring)

**Kits:**

Jaykit- dark gray tom with black tabby stripe and a white chest

Lilykit- long-furred light gray she-cat with black stripe and white muzzle and tail tip

Rainkit- dark gray, almost black, tom with a lighter patch on his chest

Flowerkit- pale gray she-cat with white, black rimmed spots and black tail tip

**Elders:**

Badfang- black tom with green eyes and long teeth

Losteye- white she-cat with green eyes and blind in one

-x-x-

_**RunningClan**_

**Leader:** Froststar- pretty white she-cat with blue eyes and a torn ear (Apprentice: Duskpaw)

**Deputy:** Spiderfur- dark brown tom with black chest and under belly and amber eyes (Apprentice: Moonpaw)

**Medicine Cat:** Healheart- slim cream-and-brown tom with amber eyes (Apprentice: Lightear)

**Warriors:**

Forestfoot- slim white tom with large brown paws and green eyes (Mate: Softpelt) (Kits: Lightear, Heartpatch, Duskpaw, Moonpaw, and Dirtpaw)

Fernheart- cream-and-gray she-cat with green eyes (Mate: Braveclaw) (Kits: Grasspatch and Mousetail)

Rockfang- dark gray-and-black tom with icy blue eyes (Apprentice: Dirtpaw) (Mate: Heartpatch)

Softpelt- soft light brown she-cat with heather colored eyes (Mate: Forestfoot) (Kits: Lightear, Heartpatch, Duskpaw, Moonpaw, and Dirtpaw)

Braveclaw- black tom with white chest and amber eyes (Mate: Fernheart) (Kits: Grasspatch and Mousetail)

Grasspatch- black tom with white patched and green eyes

Mousetail- gray-and-white she-cat with amber eyes

**Apprentices:**

Lightear- tan tom with brown patches and blue eyes

Duskpaw- pale ginger tom with blue eyes

Moonpaw- white she-cat with green eyes

Dirtpaw- brown tom with darker speckling and pale green eyes

**Queens:**

Heartpatch- pretty slim brown she-cat with a heart shaped patching on her chest and heather colored eyes (Mate: Rockfang)

Windstripe- light gray-and-brown tabby she-cat with blue eyes (Mate: Longstar)

**Kits:**

None

**Elders:**

Sandleg- small pale ginger she-cat with dark ginger legs and blue eyes (Kits: Windstripe and Spiderfur)

Deaf-ear- black-and-white tom with pale green eyes who went deaf (Old Mate: Kindears) (Kits: Braveclaw and Runstar)

Kindears- retired queen with brown pelt and amber eyes (Old Mate: Deaf-ear) (Kits: Braveclaw and Runstar)

Runningcloud- soft pelted small gray-and-white she-cat with light blue eyes

-x-x-

_**CreekClan**_

**Leader:** Creekstar- silver tabby tom with blue eyes

**Deputy:** Fishfur- silver she-cat with amber eyes (Mate: Reedtail) (Kits: Minnowpool, Hollowfeather, and Dashspots)

**Medicine Cat:** Leapfish- black tom with blue eyes (Apprentice: Hollowfeather)

**Warrior:**

Waterpelt- blue-gray tabby tom with light blue eyes (Apprentice: Mosspaw)

Reedtail- black tom with a gray-brown tail and green eyes (Mate: Fishfur) (Kits: Minnowpool, Hollowfeather, and Dashspots)

Runlake- dark brown tabby tom with orange eyes (Apprentice: Gingerpaw) (Mate: Troutheart) (Kits: Weedwhisker, Flowerstripe Cloudkit, Riverkit, Sunkit, and Mothkit)

Lakeleg- silver she-cat with dark gray legs and blue eyes (Mate: Shorefur)

Minnowpool- pretty silver tabby she-cat with amber eyes

Dashspots- light brown mottled tom with blue eyes

Weedwhisker- dark brown tom with orange eyes

Flowerstripe- light gray tabby she-cat with blue eyes

**Apprentice:**

Hollowfeather- black she-cat with blue eyes

Gingerpaw- light ginger tom with green eyes

Mosspaw- light brown-white-and gray she-cat with blue eyes

**Queens:**

Troutheart- light gray she-cat with white mark on chest with blue eyes (Mate: Runlake) (Kits: Weedpaw, Flowerpaw, Cloudkit, Riverkit, Sunkit, and Mothkit)

Shorefur- light, sandy colored she-cat with blue eyes (Mate: Lakeleg)

Grasswhisker- light brown she-cat with green eyes (Mate: Unknown) (Kits: Gingerpaw and Mosspaw)

**Kits:**

Cloudkit- light gray tom with white paws and blue eyes

Riverkit- gray tom with blue eyes

Sunkit- light brown she-cat with green eyes

Mothkit- dark brown-and-gray tabby tom with amber eyes

**Elders:**

One-ear- dark brown tom with one ear and orange eyes (Old Mate: Tinyfish) (Kits: Reedtail and Shorefur)

Tinyfish- sandy light brown tabby she-cat with blue eyes (Old Mate: One-ear) (Kits: Reedtail and Shorefur)

Fluffypelt- light gray-and-black tom with green eyes (Kit: Fishfur)


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary:** Willowkit and her sister Frostkit are born in calming times to one of the three Clan, LightningClan. But Willowkit doesn't feel all at home with her family, her parents seeming to sun her for her lack of skill. Yet, a prophecy is born to the medicine cat of the clan, and he cant but help to see that it has to do with the family. Will the clan be saved in time, or will their own foolish mistakes make the three clan become just two?

* * *

**Alive: Book 1**

_**By.** Hidding-In-Shadows_

Chapter 14

* * *

Willowfrost sat under the willow tree in camp, waiting for Nightstar and the others to come back from the Meeting. The moon was high in the air, stars of past warriors bright in the sky. Willowfrost flicked her tail as she directed her gaze to the nursery where she could see Petalspot's laying, and her own kits curled together in their nest, fast asleep. Willowfrost sighed, standing and shaking her pelt out. She walked over to Wormfur's den, walking in and looking around. The hairless tom sat in the back of the den, his claws pricked a few leaves as he moved around. His apprentice lay in her den, her scared eyes closed.

"Is something wrong?" Wormfur asked, not turning to see who it was. "I don't know why you'd be here at this time if something wasn't." he then put the leaves down and looked over his shoulder, his large blue eyes blinking to her.

"They've been gone for a while Wormfur." she said, sitting down. "I'm just worried."

"Some Meeting's last longer then others Willowfrost."

"Why didn't you go?" Willowfrost asked as the tom walked around his den.

"Petalspot's is going to give birth soon. I wanted to be here just in case. Applepaw is still too uncomfortable going by herself." he looked to the young she-cat with concerned eyes. "She's too young also."

"I see." Willowfrost said. She looked outside of the den, sighing. "I've never heard of a Meeting lasting this long."

Wormfur purred with amusement and cuffed her over the ear. "Oh you lovesick kits. Come help me sort these herbs."

* * *

Nightstar looked at Froststar with wide eyes. There was no way . . .

The white she-cat smiled at him and then Creekstar cleared his throat. "CreekClan has been doing well. Prey's been swimming so we're giving you the river back a moon early, Nightstar." Nightstar turned to the tom, nodding thanks. "Our two queens, Grasswhisker and Shorefur have given birth to one kit each. Otterkit and Snakekit. Leapfish has retired from his position as medicine cat and moved to the elder den, Hollowfeather taking his place as our new medicine cat."

The cats echoed the new medicine cats name, the black she-cat licking her chest nervously. Creekstar nodded, letting Nightstar go next. The black tom stepped forward.

"Everything's been well in LightningClan. Prey's been running well and one of our warriors, Petalspots, has moved to the queens den. That's all." Nightstar stepped back and looked to Froststar who stepped forward with a smile.

"As you see, our beloved Runstar has passed from the battle between RunningClan and LightningClan. Sadly, before Longwind could receive his nine lives, he was killed from the bite of an adder. I offered to step forward and, without any challenges, took the leadership of RunningClan." Murmurs echoed through the Meeting from LightningClan and CreekClan members. RunningClan warriors looked strong, their eyes narrowed and challenging. Nightstar looked around and caught eyes with Spiderfur's apprentice. The she-cat was shaking in her pelt with fright. She quickly averted her green eyes and looked down at her paws. Nightstar narrowed his eyes at the white she-cat.

"Now Nightstar, Longwind and you spoke about giving RunningClan some of the territory after the battle. You're decision is due tonight. Also, since CreekClan has given you that river back, you must have come to the right choice." she gave him a wicked smile.

"I have thought about your offer." Nightstar said. "But, I am refusing it. As we all can see, RunningClan's members look healthy and strong, and the only reason you wanted that and was so your warriors could heal. LightingClan will not be giving any of their territory to RunningClan. Not even a blade of grass."

LightingClan yowled in approval and Froststar smirked as if she was looking for that kind of answer instead of getting the territory. "I see. Then you leave us no choice but to take action." Froststar stood, flicking her tail. "Just wait, you'll see the true power of RunningClan."

* * *

Willowfrost woke the next morning with a yawn. Her kits were already outside playing. She purred happily and stood, stretching. She looked over to Petalspots who was still asleep, her belly plump with kits. She looked outside to see her four kits already awake and playing. She sighed and walked out, cuffing Jaykit over the ear lightly as he pushed his brother into the ground. She then looked up to see a Hunting patrol walk in. Tawnypaw, Harespring, Stripefur, and Brightface went to the fresh-kill pile, dropping their prey. Harespring say something to his apprentice who grabbed a bird and ran off to the medicine cats den. Harespring grabbed a rabbit himself and started to the nursery. He nodded to Willowfrost and walked in, giving his mate her favorite piece of prey. Willowfrost felt someone flick her ear and she turned to see Longfur standing there, his tail flicking in the air.

"Come with me." he said, turning and walking to the leaders den. Willowfrost told her kits to be good and stood, following the tom. They jumped up to the den and walked in, Wormfur and Applepaw sitting in there. Nigthstar looked up from the back of the den, his orange bright against the dark contrast of the den. Willowfrost took a sharp breath as she looked at the tom. His once glossy black pelt was dull and matted, his ear torn and his eyes tired and lifeless.

"Nightstar . . ." she murmured, taking a step to him. he flicked his tail and cleared his throat.

"I needed to talk to you all. Something happened at the Meeting last night. Something . . . terrible."

"It has to do with Frostpool doesn't it." Wormfur growled.

"I barely knew her and i don't like her." Applepaw dug her claws into the dirt floor of the den and Nightstar flicked his tail.

"Yes, it has to do with her. In the battle, Runstar lost a life, but not his final one. It seems like Frostpool knew this. Longwind thought he would be leader now and he had yet to get his nine lives. Petalspots and were out hunting when we saw Runstar . . . he died, his last life taken away by Frostpool. My suspicion are that she knew Longwind wouldn't get his nine lives if Runstar was still alive, so she killed him too before anyone could become the deputy. then she forced her way to the leader position."

"So she's Froststar now." Longfur said, his eyes narrowing. "She is now the leader of RunningClan."

Nightstar nodded to his deputy. "Willowfrost, we were told that they would be making action. I want you to take the elders, Petalspots, and the kits to a safe area where they cant get you. Applepaw is going with you."

Willowfrost looked confused. "So you're asking me to bring a she-cat who's about to give birth at any second, fours kits who cant's listen for even two seconds, two elders, and a medicine cat with me to a secret area while you and the warriors and apprentice in the clan fight the clans battle?"

"I'm not asking, I'm telling." Nightstar said, his eyes hard.

Willowfrost opened her mouth to protest, but stopped what she was going to say and nodded.

"When do you want us to leave?"

* * *

_**LightningClan**_

**Leader:** Nightstar- built, handsome black tom with orange eyes and a torn ear (Mate: Willowfrost) (Kits: Jaykit, Lilykit, Rainkit, and Flowerkit)

**Deputy:** Longfur- long-haired brown tabby tom with amber eyes (Mate: Brightface) (Kits: Applepaw and Tawnypaw)

**Medicine Cats:** Wormfur- sandy colored tom with patches of fur and blue eyes (Apprentice: Applepaw)

**Warriors:**

Ringtail- gray tom with tabby tail and green eyes (Mate: Grassshine) (Kits: Harespring and Stripefur)

Feverhead- brown tom with a going on fever and blue eyes (Kits: Nightstar and Petalspots)

Darkflower- gray-and-white she-cat with blue eyes (Kits: Frostpool and Willowfrost)

Grassshine- light brown she-cat with blue eyes (Mate: Ringtail) (Kits: Harespring and Stripefur)

Brightface- orange-and-white she-cat with blue eyes (Mate: Longfur) (Kits: Applepaw and Tawnypaw)

Harespring- light brown tom with green eyes (Apprentice: Tawnypaw) (Mate: Petalspots)

Stripefur- gray tabby tom with blue eyes

**Apprentices:**

Applepaw- small ginger she-cat with blind, scarred blue eyes

Tawnypaw- large dark brown and white tabby tom with amber eyes

**Queens:**

Willowfrost- dark gray tabby she-cat with orange eyes (Mate: Nightstar) (Kits: Jaykit, Lilykit, Rainkit, and Flowerkit)

Petalspots- brown she-cat with pale gray patches and blue eyes (Mate: Harespring)

**Kits:**

Jaykit- dark gray tom with black tabby stripe and a white chest

Lilykit- long-furred light gray she-cat with black stripe and white muzzle and tail tip

Rainkit- dark gray, almost black, tom with a lighter patch on his chest

Flowerkit- pale gray she-cat with white, black rimmed spots and black tail tip

**Elders:**

Badfang- black tom with green eyes and long teeth

Losteye- white she-cat with green eyes and blind in one

-x-x-

_**RunningClan**_

**Leader:** Froststar- pretty white she-cat with blue eyes and a torn ear (Apprentice: Duskpaw)

**Deputy:** Spiderfur- dark brown tom with black chest and under belly and amber eyes (Apprentice: Moonpaw)

**Medicine Cat:** Healheart- slim cream-and-brown tom with amber eyes (Apprentice: Lightear)

**Warriors:**

Forestfoot- slim white tom with large brown paws and green eyes (Mate: Softpelt) (Kits: Lightear, Heartpatch, Duskpaw, Moonpaw, and Dirtpaw)

Fernheart- cream-and-gray she-cat with green eyes (Mate: Braveclaw) (Kits: Grasspatch and Mousetail)

Rockfang- dark gray-and-black tom with icy blue eyes (Apprentice: Dirtpaw) (Mate: Heartpatch)

Softpelt- soft light brown she-cat with heather colored eyes (Mate: Forestfoot) (Kits: Lightear, Heartpatch, Duskpaw, Moonpaw, and Dirtpaw)

Braveclaw- black tom with white chest and amber eyes (Mate: Fernheart) (Kits: Grasspatch and Mousetail)

Grasspatch- black tom with white patched and green eyes

Mousetail- gray-and-white she-cat with amber eyes

**Apprentices:**

Lightear- tan tom with brown patches and blue eyes

Duskpaw- pale ginger tom with blue eyes

Moonpaw- white she-cat with green eyes

Dirtpaw- brown tom with darker speckling and pale green eyes

**Queens:**

Heartpatch- pretty slim brown she-cat with a heart shaped patching on her chest and heather colored eyes (Mate: Rockfang)

Windstripe- light gray-and-brown tabby she-cat with blue eyes (Mate: Longstar)

**Kits:**

None

**Elders:**

Sandleg- small pale ginger she-cat with dark ginger legs and blue eyes (Kits: Windstripe and Spiderfur)

Deaf-ear- black-and-white tom with pale green eyes who went deaf (Old Mate: Kindears) (Kits: Braveclaw and Runstar)

Kindears- retired queen with brown pelt and amber eyes (Old Mate: Deaf-ear) (Kits: Braveclaw and Runstar)

Runningcloud- soft pelted small gray-and-white she-cat with light blue eyes

-x-x-

_**CreekClan**_

**Leader:** Creekstar- silver tabby tom with blue eyes

**Deputy:** Fishfur- silver she-cat with amber eyes (Mate: Reedtail) (Kits: Minnowpool, Hollowfeather, and Dashspots)

**Medicine Cat:** Hollowfeather- black she-cat with blue eyes

**Warrior:**

Waterpelt- blue-gray tabby tom with light blue eyes (Apprentice: Mosspaw)

Reedtail- black tom with a gray-brown tail and green eyes (Mate: Fishfur) (Kits: Minnowpool, Hollowfeather, and Dashspots)

Runlake- dark brown tabby tom with orange eyes (Apprentice: Gingerpaw) (Mate: Troutheart) (Kits: Weedwhisker, Flowerstripe Cloudkit, Riverkit, Sunkit, and Mothkit)

Lakeleg- silver she-cat with dark gray legs and blue eyes (Mate: Shorefur)

Minnowpool- pretty silver tabby she-cat with amber eyes

Dashspots- light brown mottled tom with blue eyes

Weedwhisker- dark brown tom with orange eyes

Flowerstripe- light gray tabby she-cat with blue eyes

**Apprentice:**

Gingerpaw- light ginger tom with green eyes

Mosspaw- light brown-white-and gray she-cat with blue eyes

**Queens:**

Troutheart- light gray she-cat with white mark on chest with blue eyes (Mate: Runlake) (Kits: Weedpaw, Flowerpaw, Cloudkit, Riverkit, Sunkit, and Mothkit)

Shorefur- light, sandy colored she-cat with blue eyes (Mate: Lakeleg) (Kit: Otterkit)

Grasswhisker- light brown she-cat with green eyes (Mate: Unknown) (Kits: Gingerpaw, Mosspaw, and Snakekit)

**Kits:**

Cloudkit- light gray tom with white paws and blue eyes

Riverkit- gray tom with blue eyes

Sunkit- light brown she-cat with green eyes

Mothkit- dark brown-and-gray tabby tom with amber eyes

Otterkit- dull brown she-cat with bright green eyes

Snakekit- pale ginger tabby tom with amber eyes

**Elders:**

One-ear- dark brown tom with one ear and orange eyes (Old Mate: Tinyfish) (Kits: Reedtail and Shorefur)

Tinyfish- sandy light brown tabby she-cat with blue eyes (Old Mate: One-ear) (Kits: Reedtail and Shorefur)

Fluffypelt- light gray-and-black tom with green eyes (Kit: Fishfur)

Leapfish- black tom with blue eyes (Former Medicine Cat)


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary:** Willowkit and her sister Frostkit are born in calming times to one of the three Clan, LightningClan. But Willowkit doesn't feel all at home with her family, her parents seeming to sun her for her lack of skill. Yet, a prophecy is born to the medicine cat of the clan, and he cant but help to see that it has to do with the family. Will the clan be saved in time, or will their own foolish mistakes make the three clan become just two?

* * *

**Alive: Book 1**

_**By.** Hidding-In-Shadows_

Chapter 15

* * *

"How much longer?" Lilykit squeaked from the heels of her mother. Willowfrost flicked the she-cats nose with her tail.

"Not much longer. We'll be there soon sweetie." Willowfrost said softly, looking over her shoulder to the three others. Jaykit, Rainkit, and Flowerkit all looked about to fall to sleep as they walked in the dark, their paws catching roots and rocks every once and a while, tumbling over their paws. Petalspots walked behind the kits, her tail on Applepaw's shoulders. Willowfrost's eyes glowed in the darkness of the night as she looked around. The den her, Nightstar, Longfur, and Wormfur had made shouldn't be too far from where the cats were at the moment. Willowfrost looked around and grumbled as her paws got stuff in a root.

"It's over there." Applepaw said suddenly, flicking her tail to the left. "I can smell you scents. It's faint, but still there."

Willowfrost blinked at the blond she-cat but nodded and then cleared her throat. "Alright, thank you Applepaw."

An amused look came over the she-cat's face and she let out a purr. "You nodded didn't you."

"I, ah-"

Applepaw let out a purr of laughter and walked ahead of the group, Petalspots tail sliding off her back. The she-cat walked with grace, her paws lifting just high enough over the roots and rocks that littered the group. "I'm not as useless as you all think I am." she murmured, walking over to a tree and sniffing at the roots. "StarClan has helped me with my . . . challenges. This is the den, I can smell the kill too."

Willowfrost walked over and gently laid her tail on the she-cat's shoulders. The ginger cat didn't even flinched, just looked over to Willowfrost with her scared eyes. "I'm sorry Applepaw. I'm so sorry." she said softly. Applepaw blinked and purred.

"It's okay Willowfrost. I was protecting my clanmate. I've realized this is the path I was meant to make. I've gotten over it. Now let's get everyone in safe and sound. Petalspots, I want to check those kits in that belly of yours. You smell like you're going to birth at any second."

* * *

Nightstar paced in his den, his long black tail flicking behind him. He'd gotten the ones who needed the most help out of camp. Sadly, the elders had refused to go with Willowfrost and the others, saying that they would use the last of their strength to help the clan. He heard someone outside of the den and looked to see Longfur sitting there. His ear was slashed open and cuts covered his pelt. Nightstar rushed out of the den, standing on the edge of the leaders ledge and looked over the clan. Darkflower was at Wormfur's den, licking a deep wound on her shoulder. Ringtail and Feverhead were talking to each other angrily as they walked from the medicine cats den, cobwebs on their pelts.

"What happened." Nightstar asked gruffly.

"While on border patrol we ran into some RunningClan cats." Longfur murmured. "They didn't feel like talking."

Nightstar looked to his friend and old mentor. "Go see Wormfur and get that ear fixed." Nightstar nodded to the ear and the tom nodded, jumping down the ledge and over to the medicine cats den. Nightstar turned and stalked into his den. He paced, his tail lashing around and then took a deep breath, closing his eyes as he sat.

When he opened them, he sat in the field of StarClan. In front of him was Sparrowpelt, the old tom's eyes hard and angered slightly.

"Sparrowpelt, what seems to be wrong?" the black leader asked.

"We should have told you sooner Nightstar." Sparrowpelt's voice was rough and raw as if he had been yowling all night long. "We were foolish and didn't think you were wise enough to know."

"Know what? Does this have to do with the battle RunningClan and LightningClan are about to have?" Nightstar asked, his orange eyes opening wide.

"A prophecy. StarClan gave Wormfur a prophecy moons ago warning him. It seems that we've failed to take action on it and it's going to be worse then we thought originally."

"Prophecy? Well what is it!" Nightstar flicked his tail impatiently. "Why didn't you tell me sooner, LightningClan might not have been in the mess it is now." the tom hissed lightly.

"We take full blame Nightstar." Sparrowpelt growled lowly. "As the time goes by, good will turn bad, and a terrible frost will kill the aging willow."

Nightstar mumbled the prophecy to himself before his eyes widened. He looked up to the old medicine cat, his amber eyes filled with sarrow as he looked at the young leader. He nodded one and Nightstar flinched back with pain.

"No . . . No that can't be true." Nightstar mumbled. "No, it's not true, you've made a mistake." Nightstar growled to the tom, his hackles raising. Sparrowpelt hung his head."

"We're sorry Nightstar." was the last thing he said before the image shimmered and Nightstar blinked and found himself in his den.

* * *

Willowfrost walked into the make-shift den, three mice hanging from her jaws. She laid one at Applepaw's paws and then one to Petalspots before sitting and nudging the prey to her kits who eagerly ate it. She smiled and shivered, her pelt thining from the lake of prey she'd been eating to support the others. They had been living out in the den for a few suns and Willowfrost was aching to go back to camp and make sure everything was okay. Not only that, but to have a good, solid fresh piece of kill. She felt something hit her paw and looked to see the mouse she caught for Applepaw was at her feet. A few bites were taken and she looked to see the blind ginger she-cat licking at her muzzle.

"Have the rest, you need energy. Plus, mouse isn't really my favorite." Applepaw smiled and then stood, stretching. "I'm going to look for some herbs for Petalspots. I'll be back but sundown."

Before the gray tabby could protest, the small ginger she-cat was already outside of the den and trotting away. Willowfrost sighed, shaking her head and sat down. She looked to see her kits sleeping, curled next to each other and the mouse gone. Willowfrost looked to see Petalspots purring softly as she ran her tongue over her large belly. She then grabbed the mouse by the tail and pulled it to her, eating it eagerly. When she finished Petalspots purred with amusement at her friend.

"You need to rest a little more. Applepaw can catch us fresh-kill too." Willowfrost blinked and Petalspots rolled her eyes. "Tawnypaw's been teaching her. I've seen the two practice. She's actually pretty good at it."

Willowfrost licked her chest, embarrassed and then yawned. "A nap sounds good right about now actually." Petalspots smiled and touched her nose to the she-cat ear.

"Then sleep."

* * *

_**LightningClan**_

**Leader:** Nightstar- built, handsome black tom with orange eyes and a torn ear (Mate: Willowfrost) (Kits: Jaykit, Lilykit, Rainkit, and Flowerkit)

**Deputy:** Longfur- long-haired brown tabby tom with amber eyes (Mate: Brightface) (Kits: Applepaw and Tawnypaw)

**Medicine Cats:** Wormfur- sandy colored tom with patches of fur and blue eyes (Apprentice: Applepaw)

**Warriors:**

Ringtail- gray tom with tabby tail and green eyes (Mate: Grassshine) (Kits: Harespring and Stripefur)

Feverhead- brown tom with a going on fever and blue eyes (Kits: Nightstar and Petalspots)

Darkflower- gray-and-white she-cat with blue eyes (Kits: Frostpool and Willowfrost)

Grassshine- light brown she-cat with blue eyes (Mate: Ringtail) (Kits: Harespring and Stripefur)

Brightface- orange-and-white she-cat with blue eyes (Mate: Longfur) (Kits: Applepaw and Tawnypaw)

Harespring- light brown tom with green eyes (Apprentice: Tawnypaw) (Mate: Petalspots)

Stripefur- gray tabby tom with blue eyes

**Apprentices:**

Applepaw- small ginger she-cat with blind, scarred blue eyes

Tawnypaw- large dark brown and white tabby tom with amber eyes

**Queens:**

Willowfrost- dark gray tabby she-cat with orange eyes (Mate: Nightstar) (Kits: Jaykit, Lilykit, Rainkit, and Flowerkit)

Petalspots- brown she-cat with pale gray patches and blue eyes (Mate: Harespring)

**Kits:**

Jaykit- dark gray tom with black tabby stripe and a white chest

Lilykit- long-furred light gray she-cat with black stripe and white muzzle and tail tip

Rainkit- dark gray, almost black, tom with a lighter patch on his chest

Flowerkit- pale gray she-cat with white, black rimmed spots and black tail tip

**Elders:**

Badfang- black tom with green eyes and long teeth

Losteye- white she-cat with green eyes and blind in one

-x-x-

_**RunningClan**_

**Leader:** Froststar- pretty white she-cat with blue eyes and a torn ear (Apprentice: Duskpaw)

**Deputy:** Spiderfur- dark brown tom with black chest and under belly and amber eyes (Apprentice: Moonpaw)

**Medicine Cat:** Healheart- slim cream-and-brown tom with amber eyes (Apprentice: Lightear)

**Warriors:**

Forestfoot- slim white tom with large brown paws and green eyes (Mate: Softpelt) (Kits: Lightear, Heartpatch, Duskpaw, Moonpaw, and Dirtpaw)

Fernheart- cream-and-gray she-cat with green eyes (Mate: Braveclaw) (Kits: Grasspatch and Mousetail)

Rockfang- dark gray-and-black tom with icy blue eyes (Apprentice: Dirtpaw) (Mate: Heartpatch)

Softpelt- soft light brown she-cat with heather colored eyes (Mate: Forestfoot) (Kits: Lightear, Heartpatch, Duskpaw, Moonpaw, and Dirtpaw)

Braveclaw- black tom with white chest and amber eyes (Mate: Fernheart) (Kits: Grasspatch and Mousetail)

Grasspatch- black tom with white patched and green eyes

Mousetail- gray-and-white she-cat with amber eyes

**Apprentices:**

Lightear- tan tom with brown patches and blue eyes

Duskpaw- pale ginger tom with blue eyes

Moonpaw- white she-cat with green eyes

Dirtpaw- brown tom with darker speckling and pale green eyes

**Queens:**

Heartpatch- pretty slim brown she-cat with a heart shaped patching on her chest and heather colored eyes (Mate: Rockfang)

Windstripe- light gray-and-brown tabby she-cat with blue eyes (Mate: Longstar)

**Kits:**

None

**Elders:**

Sandleg- small pale ginger she-cat with dark ginger legs and blue eyes (Kits: Windstripe and Spiderfur)

Deaf-ear- black-and-white tom with pale green eyes who went deaf (Old Mate: Kindears) (Kits: Braveclaw and Runstar)

Kindears- retired queen with brown pelt and amber eyes (Old Mate: Deaf-ear) (Kits: Braveclaw and Runstar)

Runningcloud- soft pelted small gray-and-white she-cat with light blue eyes

-x-x-

_**CreekClan**_

**Leader:** Creekstar- silver tabby tom with blue eyes

**Deputy:** Fishfur- silver she-cat with amber eyes (Mate: Reedtail) (Kits: Minnowpool, Hollowfeather, and Dashspots)

**Medicine Cat:** Hollowfeather- black she-cat with blue eyes

**Warrior:**

Waterpelt- blue-gray tabby tom with light blue eyes (Apprentice: Mosspaw)

Reedtail- black tom with a gray-brown tail and green eyes (Mate: Fishfur) (Kits: Minnowpool, Hollowfeather, and Dashspots)

Runlake- dark brown tabby tom with orange eyes (Apprentice: Gingerpaw) (Mate: Troutheart) (Kits: Weedwhisker, Flowerstripe Cloudkit, Riverkit, Sunkit, and Mothkit)

Lakeleg- silver she-cat with dark gray legs and blue eyes (Mate: Shorefur)

Minnowpool- pretty silver tabby she-cat with amber eyes

Dashspots- light brown mottled tom with blue eyes

Weedwhisker- dark brown tom with orange eyes

Flowerstripe- light gray tabby she-cat with blue eyes

**Apprentice:**

Gingerpaw- light ginger tom with green eyes

Mosspaw- light brown-white-and gray she-cat with blue eyes

**Queens:**

Troutheart- light gray she-cat with white mark on chest with blue eyes (Mate: Runlake) (Kits: Weedpaw, Flowerpaw, Cloudkit, Riverkit, Sunkit, and Mothkit)

Shorefur- light, sandy colored she-cat with blue eyes (Mate: Lakeleg) (Kit: Otterkit)

Grasswhisker- light brown she-cat with green eyes (Mate: Unknown) (Kits: Gingerpaw, Mosspaw, and Snakekit)

**Kits:**

Cloudkit- light gray tom with white paws and blue eyes

Riverkit- gray tom with blue eyes

Sunkit- light brown she-cat with green eyes

Mothkit- dark brown-and-gray tabby tom with amber eyes

Otterkit- dull brown she-cat with bright green eyes

Snakekit- pale ginger tabby tom with amber eyes

**Elders:**

One-ear- dark brown tom with one ear and orange eyes (Old Mate: Tinyfish) (Kits: Reedtail and Shorefur)

Tinyfish- sandy light brown tabby she-cat with blue eyes (Old Mate: One-ear) (Kits: Reedtail and Shorefur)

Fluffypelt- light gray-and-black tom with green eyes (Kit: Fishfur)

Leapfish- black tom with blue eyes (Former Medicine Cat)


End file.
